Evangelion Versus Angels Online
by M.J.P. Smith
Summary: In 2022, the first ever VR video game draws Ikari Shinji (Job), Kirigaya Kazuto (Kirito) and ten thousand other gamers into the finest trap ever devised; one of their own making. If you lose, you die. Horribly. Plain and simple. How will their destinies twist? AU, SAO, Evangelion and others. Timey wimey stuff... currently in rewrites, but will keep updating the original storyline.
1. Sword Art Online

**Evangelion Versus Angels Online**

**Chapter One**

**1_November_2010  
**

For a moment, all the small child could hear was feedback from the intercom in the laboratory. It became speech quickly. "Beginning first test. All non-participating persons please move to the first observation booth immediately. That is all."

A dozen or so people shuffled into the glass enclosed room where the boy, only four years old, ran back and forth along the pane of bulletproof glass.

"Holographic emitters are set and ready to display."

Of the ten people on the ground level, the center of attention looked the funniest to the boy. He waved and smiled, ear to ear, at the woman standing there in a white lab coat and what seemed like a thousand wires leading all over the place.

She waved back, calling up him. "Shin-Chan." Her voice, to his ears at least, was happiness. To the people with her, it could have been remorse.

"Head gear ready for activation. Hardwire uninterrupted."

An older man with receding grey hair approached the young woman. The boy recognized the man and waved at him too. He took notice, but spoke to the woman rather than waving back. "You know you don't have to go through with this Yui. There are dozens of technicians versed in the programs you developed."

"Professor," she said while putting on a large piece of metal head gear, "Kozou... it'll be alright. Just make sure Gendo doesn't shirk off his responsibilities." She was referring to his duty as a parent, but the aged man took it professionally.

"I'll be sure of that. But really... why is there your son here?"

"I brought Shinji along. I wanted to show him how bright the future will be. Will you go up to the booth to keep an eye on him? He seems to be getting into something or another."

She was taking glances up at the booth where her son was running around with a tan hat trailing behind him.

"Doesn't that belong to the representative from North America?"

"I'll go get him. And I'll be watching Yui. One hundred percent grade for a good performance." He gently reminded her of the days they spent at Kyoto University as professor and student. As the professor retreated to the viewing booth, Yui was approached by another man.

He was younger and looked shady. "Yui."

"Hello you," she said, tilting the head gear up slightly to kiss the man. They separated and she said "are you ready?"

"I am always ready dear," he said simply.

"Oh you," she said, taking his hand in hers. "I really do like the adjustments you made to the head gear. Those techs in section three have no idea what comfort is."

"I knew you'd like it. This equipment could be worn for hours at a time without physical discomfort to interrupt the neural connection. Such things cannot be looked over in future development, so they cannot be looked over now."

"So pragmatic," she laughed out. "I think that's why I love you."

"Certainly I have other qualities," he said pulling her close for another kiss.

"Certainly you do," she answered.

"Entering test phase," came a slightly annoyed voice from the intercom. "All participants to positions. Hey you kids," the voice said, "stop messing around."

"Naoko, you never could take a joke," Yui said as she passed the console Naoko worked at.

"Only when I'm working," she answered. "Want to go out for a drink later? My treat."

"That'd be wonderful. Hey, if I pitch in, can we hit that new German place in town?"

Naoko looked pleased. "That place is expensive, you'd better pitch in a lot."

"Cheapskate. You offered."

"I may look rich, but I hardly make more than any salaryman."

Yui laughed. "The lab coat probably throws people off."

"I am a medical doctor too. I'd probably make more money if I worked for a private hospital," she joked.

"Probably. But we'd all miss you if you left."

"No you wouldn't. You love me for my ability to understand this gibberish you call computer code."

"Alright," Yui said, flopping her arms out in an exaggerated motion, "you caught me, oh wise Akagi-sensei."

"So I did," Naoko agreed. "Now go get ready for the test. We're only sixty seconds under the line."

"Got it. Hey Naoko," Yui said, "full-dive. Should be interesting."

"True. Sort of wish I was going."

"No you don't. All I had time to program was a big white room and a console. It's boring~!"

"Still," Naoko couldn't finish that thought with anything worth saying. "Good luck Yui."

"Thanks." With that, she left the doctor to her work and entered the testing area.

"Doctor Ikari," a technician greeted. "Please sit down." He motioned to a fairly comfortable looking reclining chair.

"Thank you."

"Yui," this time it was her husband's voice, the voice of Gendo Ikari, on the intercom. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. Are you?"

He smiled, a rarity reserved for her. "Indeed. Professor?"

In the booth, Professor Kozou Fuyutsuki held the young son of Yui Ikari, Shinji Ikari, in his lap. "It's your show Yui. I think Shinji wants to say something," he says, nodding to the child.

"Hi mommy!"

"Hi Shin-Chan!" She waved to him from her seat in the testing area.

"What's all that stuff," he asked, puzzled by the wires and electronics equipment.

"You'll see in just a bit. Ask Professor Fu about it later."

"OK. Bye!" He waved widely, accepting his mother's answer.

"See you later sweetie."

Shinji let the microphone go, giving it back to the professor. He nodded to Yui, wishing her luck with a short, silent prayer. On the floor, Gendo steadied his pose, one that hid his mouth, leaving only his eyes, which themselves are covered in darkly tinted glasses, visible. Naoko Akagi began the test.

"Holographic projection system: active." A series of three blue spheres hummed to life, projecting white light into three dimensions, coating the testing floor. "Beginning simulation 'E.V.A. Online.'" The light collapsed into a five meter by five meter by three meter room with a black cube floating in the center.

Yui clicked the head gear on. Naoko gave a thumbs up to the technician watching the programmer. He forwarded the approval and she said "Link start!"

Across the room, in the holographic projection, a near perfect reproduction of Yui Ikari glows into existence. She is wearing a simple white dress that somehow stands out from the white room.

A look of glee came over her. "Amazing. I actually made it." In the viewing booth, the representatives of each country invested in the project cheered. Kozou smiled. Shinji stood up on his lap, nearly falling over.

On the floor, Gendo let out a silent sigh. Naoko was busy collecting data on the input and output signals.

From the holographic room, "Hello everyone. I suppose you can hear me, but I'm not really sure," she laughed. "I'm going to log out now. Guess I'll know if it works in a moment."

She reached for the cube in the center of the white room, opened a diagnostic menu it offered, and went to log off the server.

Her hand was stopped.

Gendo leapt to his feet. Shinji felt Kozou lifting him to get to his feet. Naoko still sat, surprised, but needing to collect the data being fed to her terminal.

Her arm was being held by... something. It looked human, clad in black, but featureless. "Doctor."

"What," she responded.

"Doctor Ikari."

"What are you," she asked.

"I... I am..."

In the viewing booth, Kozou debated with himself whether to leave the child to go to the floor, or take him down there. He opted to take the child with him. On the floor, Gendo made his way to Naoko.

"What am I looking at doctor," he asked in a hushed, murderous tone.

"I have no idea. Something strange is in the system."

"How did this happen," he asked using the same tone.

Kozou arrived on the floor with Shinji. "A better question is who has the knowledge to make something like that in our top-secret, experimental full-dive system."

Gendo turned to face his old teacher only to be confronted with his son's scared face.

"D...daddy!" Shinji rushed to Gendo, fear clouding his young features.

Gendo took the boy in his arms and turned back to Naoko. "Doctor, find out and fix this. Kill what ever that," he pointed a thumb at the dark figure, "is. End it."

Inside the white room, the figure finally formed more words. "I am death."

"What?" Yui took an involuntary step back.

"And fear. And rage. And..."

"Why?"

"I am."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I am."

"What does that mean!?"

With that final question, the dark figure touched Yui's forehead. Her avatar in the white room vanished, leaving only the black cube and himself.

"Ikari."

Kozou could only look on in horror. Akagi was trying to find the code for the creature, but was coming up horribly short. Shinji cried into his father's shoulder, not knowing what was going on. Gendo remained composed.

"What?"

"Ikari," the creature said again.

"I answered you, monster! What?"

"What you are is death. I too am death. Death of the Yui Ikari. Death of the Akagi. Death of the Sohryu. Death to the progenitors. Death to Lilith. Death to Adam. Death to them all."

"And what about me?"

"Death."

"And my child?"

"Death."

"Well then," Gendo said. "That just about does it. Akagi."

"Very well commander."

Naoko typed in a series of code. As she finished, a red spear appeared in the white room. Using the creature as a scale, the spear was just the right size to pierce where it's heart and neck would be. As the spear entered the creature's body, it screamed in agony.

"The ultimate countermeasure against trash in the system," Kozou said. "But was the name really needed, Gendo? It's just in poor taste."

"Professor, now is not the time. Akagi, keep it restrained. Use Magi level firewall numbers five-six-six and six-six-seven. You there," he motioned to the technician on staff, "check her. Is Doctor Ikari well?"

The technician did as he was told. He checked the medical gear, all registering her body's health to be as near to perfect as can be. The head gear told him that her mind was still intact. "Sir, everything is in order."

"Ikari..." the creature groaned out.

"What more could you want, monster?"

"In this, I only warn. Disconnection is death. I am death. The Others. Are. Death." The creature vanished in a flurry of polygons and pixels. The Spear of Longinus, the ultimate countermeasure, clattered to the ground of the white room and shattered without a target.

"Akagi," Gendo turned slowly. "What would happen if we were to remove the interface equipment from Yui without her logging out from the terminal?"

Kozou's face turned pale. Naoko looked down into her terminal. "She... the shock to her brain would..."

"I see." Gendo put Shinji down, opting to take his hand, and walked over to Yui, still sitting in the chair. "Yui."

"Daddy," Shinji tugged at his father's arm, "what happened to mommy?"  
"Shinji..." How do you explain something like this to a child? It isn't death, but... imprisonment. "Your mother is sleeping now." That's as close as he can manage. "But she'll wake up some day."

Shinji didn't quite understand. But he accepted the answer silently by squeezing his father's hand tightly.

_Someday... I'll see mother again. One day soon. _

_._

**Evangelion Versus Angels Online**

** 13_September_2022**

I woke up in a cold sweat, my eyes dripping tears and by throat dry from crying out in my sleep. I had the same dream again. It was when I was only a child, but I remember it vividly. The man without a face, the holy lance that destroyed him, and my mother's mind and soul vanishing, leaving her body behind for my father and I to grieve over in a sterile hospital room.

In junior high school, we were asked what we dreamt of. It was an exercise, I later learned, to determine career goals. For telling the truth about the only dream I always remember, I went through a year and a half of therapy at the school's behest. Maybe they should have thought of that when I was a kid, because something like that never really goes away if it festers long enough. Father certainly remembers.

This year, in my second year of high school, they asked the same question, but in the context of looking for universities to attend. By then, I had figured it out. I wanted to be a programmer. I wanted to design a world like mother envisioned. Even with his lab still producing the NervGear system, he never let me get one. I was obsessed with machines. Banned from more than one online game for hacking. Got a rather interesting phone call from the American Department of Defense. And don't get me started on the visit from the Minister of Internal Affairs. They don't like me much, but they keep offering me a job (for when I get out of university).

It started two years ago, after I figured out what I wanted to do with my education and after the MIA made their first offer for employment. It came to me one day: I could build NervGear. Dad's company tracks purchases through the sign-up process, which is needed to use the system and interact over a network. But if I build one, I could bypass the neural scan that would give my identity away to the servers. I could be someone else altogether. I practically breath the schematics that dad brings home. He has to sleep from time to time, regardless of what Asuka says about him, and that gives me time to pick through his paperwork and notes. The concept is easy.

It's almost done. Just getting the materials was a hassle. The whole thing, for what it's worth, looks like the earliest prototypes, but should work as well as an off-the-shelf model. I wonder if the servers will catch on to an extra unit. Probably, but I can hide the signal a little if I bounce off a satellite dish or two. Besides, the air is so full of wireless it should be simple to hide.

My plan was perfect. I'd be a secret player in Nerv's first virtual reality MMO game. Now, if only I could find a way to be able to play without dad noticing. Getting caught in my room because I didn't answer the door would be a pain, and not too many people would be on after midnight.

In all my pondering, I almost didn't notice the doorbell ringing. "Coming, coming!"

I made haste to the door, tucking the Gear parts I was messing with under the bed. It was more out of habit than anything else. I'd be working, dad would knock on my door, and I'd stuff it under as fast as I could. He'd joke about me jerking off and I'd deny it, my face getting red. Usually it was a call to dinner. If he cooked, pizza from our favorite place down the road. If I cooked, a three course meal.

I opened the door to see a delivery man with a small-ish package under his arm. "Mr. Shinji Ikari?"

He butchered the pronunciation. Must be part of the resettlement program that Japan helped America with a couple years ago. There was a massive earthquake on their west coast, and a dozen countries offered aid and land for people to start over. "Hai~"

"Then this is you. Please sign."

I'm not sure if it was some mix of American slang and the Japanese language, or if he just didn't know to use the connection 'for' in Japanese. Doesn't matter. He's a hell of a lot better than some of the Americans I've met. Most of them refuse to learn Japanese, choosing to set up purely American neighborhoods to avoid us. I can't understand how they can even feel like that. Strange.

"Sure." I signed the paper he offered. "Thank you. Have a good one."

"Yes. You too, Mr. Ikari."

He sort of got the name right that time. That irritates me the most. Around school, everyone just assumes that I don't mind being called nicknames or by my given name. I mean... what ever happened to calling someone you don't really know 'san' or 'mister.'

I closed the door, nearly dropping the package from my arm to close the deadbolt. What could this be? Return address is here in Kyoto, but I don't know where this street is.

Retreating to my room, I took a box cutter from my desk's top drawer and opened the parcel. Packing peanuts. Massive waste of resources. I kinda' want to get a whole bunch and make a kite out of it. Meh... maybe another time. I dug my hands into the box until I hit whatever was in it. It was a round object that resembled a halo, but large enough to be placed around the temple of the head. For the most part, it was unpainted and gunmetal grey. I turned it until I reached the front.

'NervGear mk.01'

I panicked slightly. Who would send me this? Father always said I couldn't have one. That was the whole point of building one myself. I dumped the box over, looking for anything else in that could explain this strange gift. I found a postcard taped to the bottom of the box.

DIRECTIONS: One: Place NervGear mk.01 on head with scanning equipment module one touching near center of forehead. Two: Activate 'WELCOME' program by voice command 'Welcome.' Three: Log in.

I turned the postcard over. There was an image I've seen a thousand times. It's the one that haunts my dreams. My mother in a white dress in a white room with a black cube in the center of it. But this was different. When I saw this last, more than ten years ago, it was back when holography was just getting off the ground, so the graphics were choppy. But this... it looks like someone took a photograph and sent it to me. No polygons or pixels. Just walls and objects and skin.

"Is this someone's idea of a sick joke?" I had to ask out loud. It's too audacious.

It had to be. Someone probably just photoshopped an old image from the test to look newer. A shitty practical joke. This NervGear looks fake too. There's no such thing as a mark zero one. The naming scheme would never allow for it. The first and current market model is 'NervGear Version Zero.' It would be called 'Version One' if it were actually legit.

But... what if?

Today would mean the start of the first virtual reality online game. They're calling it Sword Art Online. Asuka told me about the closed beta that she was chosen for. Apparently Nerv wanted this weirdly unbalanced mix of military experts, occult fans, seasoned gamers and newbies to beta. Guess which one Asuka is. I wasn't in the beta, but the content showing up online was intense. I hear it's a hundred level floating fortress full of town after town in an impossible set-up. The top floor is supposed to be this veritable paradise of riches and first grade items for the players that can reach it.

"I'll do it. I'll be that player."

But one problem: only ten thousand players were accepted for the first wave of game play, so there's no way in. I would need admin level permissions to gain access now. But... wonder about this strange NervGear. I didn't think about it anymore. If I put one more brain cell into thinking about the consequences, I'd never put it on. I took the NervGear mk.01, attached it to my head, plugged it in and got on the bed. I'd be in a game, best to sit somewhere I'm not likely to fall from.

"Welcome."

The sight and sound functions from the gear kicked in, leaving my touch, taste and smell rooted in reality. "Welcome to the NervGear mark one start-up sequence. Please select from the following options using voice commands. One: Continue. Two: Exit."

"Continue."

"Welcome. Please follow the following instructions."

The on-board instructions were pretty simple. Stay still while the system scans you, think about body parts while touching them to let the system get an idea of your body type and size. Answer a multi-answer questionnaire. All as expected.

"Welcome to Sword Art Online. Please select a character type."

This was unexpected. I thought I'd have to fight tooth and nail for access, but the computer let me right in. Lets see. Player ID: 10002. Wait. There are only ten thousand registered players. If I'm 10002, then who's 10001? No time to think about that now. I have to finish up the start-up before the game releases players into the first floor.

Name? It has to be in English? OK. Then... Job. Male character. What kind of specialist? It is called Sword Art Online, but I don't really want a sword... maybe guns? I guess this archer class is close. Starting attributes? What works well with accuracy? OK. That's done. Appearance? Set at random with a basis in what I really look like. I ended up looking older and less effeminate. I did change my hair though. I wanted to try this sort of English looking thing with the hair all slicked back. Looks good, I think.

That all done? Good. Off to the tutorial town: the Town of Beginnings.

There were thousands of players all collected in the center of the first town. I tried counting the ones I could see, but lost track around two hundred and gave up. My starting gear looked about the same as everyone else's. Basic clothing consisting of trousers for guys and what seemed to be a choice of trousers or skirts for girls. Everyone was armed with blades, bows and arrows, staffs and the like. It was all very fantasy. Sort of how you'd imagine living a game of _Dungeons and Dragons_.

I took a seat near the edge of the meeting place and closed by eyes. It's about quarter till one now, which means that the entrance ceremony is in about fifteen minutes. I think digging through my menus might kill some time. I swiped the menu open with my right hand and started picking through the options. Garments: Basic Clothing. Aid: Survival Pack. Weapons: Crossbow lv.1 + 20 bolts. Other items: Mirror, Time Keeper.

That took all of two minutes. I wonder if Asuka is playing. That'd be a fun surprise. She was in the beta, so I imagine, if she liked the game, that she'd play the real thing. Hell... she'd probably play even if she hated it. It's the first ever virtual reality online game.

Minutes later, an unreal public announcement system blared music, signifying the opening of Sword Art Online. The speech was short. "To everyone here on this momentous day: welcome. In the world, this flying fortress of Aincrad, I invite you to explore, conquer, and face me at the end of floor ninety-nine in a duel to the death for your chance at the fortune, fame and freedom. Farewell."

With that, a signal bell sounded and it was time to start the game.

I ran. I ran so far. The only thing I remembered from Asuka telling me about the game was that you had to level grind a lot to beat the first floor boss. Level five is optimal. She's probably be doing the same thing. When I made it to the edge of the Town of Beginnings, I found my first monster. It resembled a wolf in the real world, but larger and fiercer looking. I opened my menu quickly, as the wolf didn't seem to be in a hurry to fight at ten meters, and equipped my crossbow. It materialized in my hand, appearing to be loaded.

I know how to do this. Target in the center, squeeze the trigger. The bolt left the end of the basic crossbow, impacting the oversized wolf in the face. Judging by the HP gauge, it lost just over half its health. I went to reload, but noticed that the weapon already had a bolt loaded. That was good to know, that weapons needing ammunition would reload automatically. I took aim again, harder this time that the wolf was moving in a defensive circle, waiting for an opening. Squeezed the trigger. It looked stunned for a moment, and vanished into a flurry of polygons.

I shuddered. Not a pleasant memory. I'll have to get used to it if I want to keep playing SAO. As the shapes and glare vanished, a small pile of items was left behind. I collected three Col (the SAO currency, worth about thirty Yen if I had to make a comparison to what they buy in Japan: about ten Col for a coffee), a wolf pelt and meat, and those two crossbow bolts I used, bringing the total back to twenty.

The whole day went like this. After about five hours of playing, I had grinded up to level three and was carrying about five hundred Col, enough meat from various animals to keep my character fed for a while, and a few relatively rare drops. The only ones I kept, rather than selling in the field, were a teleportation crystal that the NPC shopkeeper claimed would never run dry of power and something called 'Link to Tellus Prime.' I don't know what it is, but the menu won't let me drop it and I can't sell it. So for now, I'll check around. It's about half past five now. The time in SAO is linked to time in the real world, so the sun is getting ready to set for the night. Probably time to log out. Dad will be some around six and I really don't want him seeing me with NervGear in the house.

I opened the menu again to log out. But... I couldn't find the log out button.

"Must be a glitch," I said to myself. I'd lodge a comment with technical support and get back to the game. They'll let me know when the function is restored.

I spent the next couple minutes walking back to the Town of Beginnings. While in a town or other peaceful settlement, you can't be damaged or lose any health. So it's important to get a room for the night before I log out. I can't just leave my avatar on the street. He'll he robbed. In rooms, the lock is absolute as long as you stay inside. I guess this was one of the more specific features that the GMs thought SAO needed to keep players in safe zones from being PKed for their stuff.

Then... things took a turn for the worse. I was enveloped in a blue and red light and by body felt light. "Wha- What's this?!" The next thing I saw, I was standing in the round meeting area I was in just earlier when the head GM made his welcome announcement. I was listening to people around me. Words like 'what the hell was that' and 'forced teleport' were popping up everywhere. I guess that's the power of teleportation. People are still coming in. The sky was a burnt orange from the last rays of sunlight. The space directly above the meeting place turned a glowing red. Brighter and brighter, until a viscous, blood-like substance began to drip out of the red hexagons that now made up the sky. A large hooded figure formed out of the stuff. It spoke.

"Welcome to Aincrad."

My knees felt shaky. If I could feel fear from this thing, I wonder what everyone else was thinking. I mean... it's only a game avatar. Granted, it's a huge one, but not too much larger than some monsters I've cut down in other games. I guess it's different when you are experiencing the world with all of your senses.

"Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. At this very moment, I am the singular game master of this world."

Wait. What? A game this large with only the one GM? People around me were calling out 'get out GM' at the faceless avatar. Like it'll help. Now... where have I seen his name before? Akihiko... Kayaba? Maybe in the news? Who would be in a position to GM SAO? Probably the... I got it! The development team. I know where I've seen his name: on a list of developers in dad's notes. Who else was on that list...?

"I'm sure you've all noticed the fact that the log out option has vanished from the main menu," the massive GM continues, alleviating the fears of many players. "This is not a bug, but is one of the main features of Sword Art Online."

What does that mean? There's no log out option?

The announcement went on. "At the very top of the castle, there is the only place to log out."

What castle? There's no castle on this level... no...

"The moment your HP reached zero in this place and for any reason, you will die."

Die?  
"Also, the disruption of signal from your brain in the old world to your self in this one for more than three hours or the dismantling of NervGear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If this is attempted, the signal sensors in your NervGear will emit a powerful electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and ceasing basic operating function."  
It wasn't panic. Not yet. What I heard all around me was shocked disbelief. People couldn't wrap their minds around this. But... I've seen the schematics. The Version Zero was equipped with a powerful transceiver array to connect players both to local networks for internet connection and to the Nerv satellite array to make up for any interruption. In theory, the built in systems and the internal battery could produce the EM pulse Kayaba mentioned. But that's insane. Who'd do such a thing?

As if feeling everyone's apprehension, the floating GM continued. "The following conditions have already been made known to the government and the public through mass-media and legitimate online sources. If the NervGear is disconnected from an outside source of power, if it is cut off from the system, if there is an attempt to unlock, destroy or dismantle the NervGear. If any of these are met, the NervGear will... On that note, there have been two hundred thirteen unfortunate deaths already where the well-meaning family and friends ignored warnings. These players have left the game... and the real world. Forever."

Now the panic began. Hundreds of players, maybe more than a thousand ran for the sides of the massive meeting area. They were stopped by a bubble of energy. When impacting the shield, a message with the Nerv logo appeared saying [Absolute Territory]. No one knows what to do. Some panicked and ran, only to be stopped. Others fell to their knees. I even saw one trying desperately to slice out his own neck. Probably trying to wake up. It didn't work. This is a protected area.

"Players," he continued, "there is no need to worry about the bodies you left on the other side. At the moment, all news outlets are reporting the information I relayed to you, including the unfortunate fact that two hundred thirteen players have passed. Using the time I allotted for disconnection, players will be moved to hospitals, medical institutions and, most likely, laboratories for safety and study. Please relax. Concentrate on this world. Though..." the now red glowing GM said "I must ask everyone to understand one thing. Sword Art Online is no longer a simple game. It is a new reality. From this point one, revival is no longer an option. The moment your HP reaches zero, your avatar will vanish. At the same time, your body will be shut down by your NervGear."

No... no way. Even I couldn't take this in. I was frozen on the spot. My legs wouldn't move. Move damn it. I have to move. I looked down from the sky to my heads-up-display, my HUD, to my hit point meter. It read 530/530. I only have five hundred thirty points that separate me from death. I wonder if anyone else is making that connection.

"I give my word to all players. Make your way to the top of the castle, to the ninety-ninth of Aincrad. There, I'll be waiting. Defeat me, and all surviving players will be set free."

Asuka told me about the beta testing. She said she made it to the tenth floor (leaving other players in the dust). That was after two months of heavy gaming on her part. I bet most of it was getting used to commenting on bugs or making suggestions to the people in charge. But... two months and only a tenth of the way. How long would this take with ten times as many people? In theory, two months... but I don't think this place will be that easy. I mean... no matter how much you try, I'm sure some of the players aren't gamers. I only managed to get to level three this fast because I purposely took on level five and six monsters. It took just as long to find much needed healing items as I trained today.

"To mark this, the flying castle Aincrad, as the only reality, I offer a gift: a looking glass."

For some reason, the mirror in my inventory was marked as a 'needed item' and I couldn't sell it earlier. Guess I know why now. I opened the menu and directed the item to materialize in my hand. It did so. I looked through it, seeing a face like mine, but aged a bit, more masculine and a little darker in tone. I turned to people around me doing the same thing, then turned by head back to the mirror just as I was enveloped in a white light.

"Another forced teleport?"

No. When the light faded, I was in the same place. But my vision was slightly blurred. I blinked a few times, that seemed to work. I looked at the mirror again. But I didn't see the English crossbowman Job. I saw the Japanese-born Shinji Ikari staring back at me. What the hell happened? I rather liked not looking like this for a little while. Before I could really complain, the GM started up again.

"You might be wondering, 'why?' Why am I, the creator of this new world and the NervGear, doing something like this? Am I doing it to ransom you? Am I a terrorist? A psycho?"

Kayaba, who had up until now not shown any care about what he announced to us, suddenly sounded kinder.

"It is none of these reasons. The reason this world exists, the reason the NervGear exists... it no longer matters. You are right here. With that, you have finished the official tutorial for Sword Art Online. I wish you the best of luck, players."

With that, the avatar above us, and the red sky, vanished. People started flooding out of the meeting place like a flood. In only ten minutes, I was left alone in that place with less than a hundred other players. I was going to leave right away, but I just didn't want to get caught up in all the panic. Deciding that I had waited enough, I took off towards the Town of Beginning's shopping center. It was hardly more than a dozen small shops, but they contained basic supplies and weapons. It was going to be a long night.

But... something I would never have guessed happened right then.

"Shinji?"

It took me a moment to register that someone had spoken my name. Here, even if my appearance changed back to what I really look like, I was the crossbowman Job. That's what it read when someone cared to click on their HUD for my name. Who would have known me here?

I turned around to the source of the voice. I found a very ginger girl the same age as me standing there in heavy looking leather armor and carrying a massive sword.

"Asuka?"


	2. First Steps Online

**Evangelion Versus Angels Online**

**Chapter Two**

**13_September_2022 - 17:52**

I couldn't even wrap my mind around it. "Asuka?" I knew she might be playing, no, I knew she would be playing. But after that announcement, I wanted her as far away from this place as possible.

"Shinji," she said, not sure what to make of me. Her face contorted "What the hell are you doing here, stupid!" Well... that changes quickly.

Same old Asuka. "I got into the first wave of players," I told her. It wasn't exactly a lie. Just leaving out parts.

She calmed down on learning that. "So... the daddy's boy got NervGear from the company? Never thought you'd ever come here, not that it ended up well." She was referring to our current situation. We are going to die here. Maybe not today... but maybe get killed fighting a boss. Or worse yet, get PKed.

"Asuka..." I'm apprehensive about that letter. What a moron. I just started using the new NervGear without even considering where it came from or anything. Damn it. "I got a package in the mail earlier."

"And? Come on. What?"

"It's... I got," I could hardly speak. "I got NervGear in the mail."

She looked at me with disbelief. "Who would send you something like that?"

"That's what I want to know. Then I looked deeper in the box. There was more. Do you remember why you came to Japan?"

"Something to do with that?" Asuka's mother was one of the three original designers of human accessible virtual reality. So, she and I became close when her family moved to Japan from Germany to fill mother's place at Nerv. She knows my past... and she knows my demons.

"It was a clear photograph of mother from that day. It looked so real."

"An old shot could be manipulated." Even she didn't seem sure. I think she understands why I'm here now.

"Maybe. But... I wanted it to be real. Wishful thinking on my part-"

I was cut off by Asuka grabbing the hand I held out, pulling it and hugging me. "I know what that means. Tell me more later."

I was speechless. It wasn't strange for Asuka to have moments of compassion like this. They didn't happen often, but I cherish them. Maybe... we might survive after all.

"Now," she said, pushing me away, "you need to learn how to fight. What's your level?"

I though about it a moment. At the moment, I was level three. But I also remember Asuka telling me how long it took for her to level up even once when she started in the beta. I think I should keep this to myself for now. "Still level one. What about you?"

She chuckled. "Only level one? I've been at it all day, so I've already gotten to level two. Come on, we have to whip you into shape for the first boss."

I followed behind her safe in the knowledge that we'd be alright. I'm a little over-leveled and she knows how the world works. I think we'll be alright.

** 20_November_2022**

More than a thousand people are dead. It has been about a month now, trapped in the world's first virtual reality multiplayer game, Sword Art Online, and not even the first floor has been cleared. That first day, Asuka and I partied up to act as protection for one another, even if she said it was because I'd die otherwise. As of now, she is level eleven. I am level fifteen, but I keep telling her that my level is a couple under hers. It makes her happy and... well... she's always been better at games than me, so why change that now, even if it's the opposite.

Right now, we're on the way to a meeting of players that this blue-haired knight called to beat the first boss. I keep hearing stories that solo players keep trying to beat the boss and keep dying. I wonder if this will go any better.

We arrived to a fairly lackluster looking bunch. That knight was standing down in the center of a stadium style area with two larger players. I looked around at the people present. Of the three or four dozen players, only a few stood out. Someone in a bright red cloak, a serious looking older man with blond hair, and this guy about my age with a long, glowing sword.

After several minutes of waiting, the knight began the meeting. "I would like to welcome everyone to the first meeting of the Aincrad Liberation Front guild. I am Diabel, the Guild Leader and," he raised his voice, "A knight of justice." That got him a few light chuckles. "These, "he motioned to the man and woman beside him, "are my lieutenants, Thinker and Yulier. Please welcome them."

There was a little polite applause that I joined in on. Asuka clapped a total of four times. I guess she's never been one for that kind of false praise.

"We have been collecting reports from survivors on previous assaults on the first floor boss and have formulated a plan to kill it." At that, everyone's ears perked up. This was a hunt meeting. Usually, these kinds of meetings happen in email or in real life cafes where players who know each other can openly talk. I guess VR isn't all that different from regular MMOs. I mean, someone a few seats down from me seems to be munching on a boxed lunch. The more things change...

Diabel continued. "The plan goes like this: as many groups of six that we can muster will attack in waves at the enemy."

A hand went up.

"Yes," Diabel said, recognizing the woman with a question.

"Do we have any information on the boss itself? And why groups of six?"

"I'll get to that. We have information on the boss itself. It is called Yog-Stock the Defiler. It employees smaller mini-bosses called Dee's Sentinels. He attacks in a pattern of run, slash and swing until three of his four health bars have fallen. This is where it gets tricky."

Asuka whispered "he begins to jump all around the room, practically teleporting. It's a bitch-and-a-half to fight."

Diabel went on. "He starts leaping off the walls and ceilings at a speed above the player movement cap. During this phase, he cannot attack. But when he gets into range of a player, he'll stop and swing with a secondary, more powerful sword. A player would have less than one second to avoid the attack, or lose most of their HP." It's a small kindness that he didn't remind us of the possibility of dying in the attack. I think it put everyone at ease.

"All that said, I would like-"

Just then, a man with spiked hair and shady looks barged into the meeting yelling "Just a moment! I have something to say to everyone before we start getting into groups."

Diabel, if only to stay in the knightly character, yielded time to the man.

The man jumped down the stairs to the stage area before speaking. "Are there any beta testers here?" His tone was angry, dark even. No one spoke up.

Asuka took part of my shirt in her hand, squeezing it.

"That's alright. You don't have to come forward yet. My name is Kiboau, a member of the Collation for the Freedoms of Aincrad Players. I am here to demand that, for the thousand people who have died, you surrender yourselves!"

There was a small commotion amongst the people gathered. I put my hand over Asuka's still clutching my shirt.

"At the beginning of the game, you abandoned us normal players! You took all the best hunting spots and the easy quests for yourselves! I demand, for those who died, you surrender your money, your items, yourselves to other players! Even the damn playing field!"

He finished, finally. The condition of my clothing was degrading from how tightly Asuka was grasping it. I think my general defense is higher, so even her massive unarmed skill isn't hurting it too badly. She's shaking. This guy... how dare he! I should feel ashamed at my thought to try to sneak attack him, but I can't feel anything for him now. I remain still, not wanting to out Asuka as a beta tester with this kind of tension.

A large, dark skinned man raised his hand. Diabel pointed to him.

"May I speak?"

"Please do," Diabel invited, probably wanting someone to beat him down a notch or two.

The man rose to his feet and walked down to the front where the irate man stood. This revealed his height of more than two meters against the man of perhaps one hundred sixty-five centimeters.

"What you are saying... is that the people who are here now, and who participated in the beta testing phase of this game's design, should be held responsible for the deaths of more than one thousand players, made to apologize, surrender their items to other players and compensate the remaining monetarily? Do I have that right?"

The smaller man looked up with scorn. "You are correct."

The larger man, I later learned he's called Agil, pulled a small, leather-bound book out of his pack. "This is the help guide that is available in every stone in the Town of Beginning at no cost. It is a free source of information for all players and it's sale is posted publically in many places all over that town."

"That doesn't change the fact that we were all abandoned by the betas when this deadly crap began! How have they helped anyone?!"

"The information in this book was compiled, and is updated even now, by the beta testers. You can see the names and play hours of everyone who contributes in the back. By the contributor's play time being several hundred hours above the others, who all began at thirteen hundred on the thirteenth of last month, I deduce that most of the information shared originated with them."

This left the man speechless.

"With that, I would speak to any beta testers present here. Thank you for all the help. You saved many lives during the first month. It could have been much worse. You did your best. Do not feel the need to come out to us here. Your status as a beta tester ended when we were trapped here. You are the same as everyone else." Agil sat down on the lowest level of seating.

Kiboau joined him, grunting when the larger man patted his back and took his hand in a shake, a foreign sign of respect and of being well-mannered. I did wonder about that... I though only people in Japan could play SAO during the first wave. It might be rude to ask, but I can't help but think about it.

Diabel continued the meeting. "I would like everyone to join in to groups of six for this plan. The reason for this is so each group can attack twice in a given moment rather than clog the enemy with attacks." I understood this dynamic. Asuka and I had been using the 'switch' function to attack enemies pretty much at the same time for a month now. It's more efficient than trying to attack without the system help. We'd probably end up clashing swords or hitting each others weapons otherwise.

I looked around at people gathering into groups. Asuka and I didn't really know anyone, so we just sat there, content that we were partied together. When a few minutes went by, Diabel spoke up again.

"Is everyone partied? Is there any group that has less than six people?"

Asuka and I stood up. Diabel took notice.

"You two at the top," he said, pointing at two other players. "Would you two be alright with partying with these two?"

The two players, the one in the cloak and the one with the glowing sword, walked down the stairs to us.

"Good," Diabel said.

After a moment of clicking through menus, the four of us were a party. Myself as Job, Asuka as Langley, the guy with the sword is called Kirito, and the cloaked girl is called Asuna. Se seem fairly balanced. The two of them have very powerful one handed sword skills. Asuka has great unarmed abilities that are augmented by the two hundred thirteen centimeter Zweihander (two-handed long-sword) she wields with only one hand. My skills were built to play support at both close and long range. I could do sneak-attack critical hits from a distance, or get right in the enemy's face for more powerful crits. I wish we had someone to heal, but this wasn't a fantasy game.

Diabel ended the meeting and dismissed everyone. We're due to gather again tomorrow at ten in the morning at the entrance to the Slopes of Apollon. The parties went off together, leaving the four of us as the last to leave.

"Do you two have anywhere to stay," I asked of our new partners.

"I've been staying in an inn in town," the cloaked girl, Asuna, said quietly.

"I don't," the swordsman Kirito told us. "What about you?"

"We've been staying in a European-style tavern in the next town over," Asuka said. I only recalled the pain in the ass it was to not only find the place, but also get a price that wouldn't bankrupt us. Have to admit, five hundred fifty Col for a room that size for a month is a steal. The only drawback is that the place was like a medieval tavern: loud and dusty.

"Do you want to go back with us tonight? We have a lot of empty space and a couple empty beds," I offered.

Asuna just looked on, seeming to want not to make the decision. Kirito stared at his feet a moment before answering. "Sure, if it's not too much trouble. I can compensate you for lodging if you want."

"It's not problem. It's paid ahead of time anyway, so no need to pay a single Col." It was so normal now to say Col rather than Yen. When this started, I was converting cost in Yen before making purchases. Lately, I've been thinking in Col and in terms of SAO. It's all very confusing.

**Same Day - 23:18**

We all sat down to dinner in the tavern. The food was a little costly, but who cares? For all we know, we might die tomorrow like all the others who tried to fight the first floor boss, so a little lavishness is excusable.

But... the conversation turned somewhere I dislike.

"So Langley," Kirito asked, "Why do you and Job call each other my your..." He means why do we use our real names, but in the month that we've all been trapped, the world has taken on a social norm all its own. It was rude to talk about the other side openly.

"Why? Because he's always been stupid Shinji ever since we were little." And I might always be if that keeps up.

"I see. So you and Job-san know each other from the other side then?"

Asuka took a while to answer. "Yeah... our parents work together."

"Where," Kirito asked intently.

"Some computer manufacturer," Asuka lied. Why would she lie? I know she was a... I get it. It's to avoid being outed as a beta tester. People have been getting restless lately. Guys like before are looking for someone to take their frustration on, and the betas are closest to Nerv and Kayaba. That doesn't matter. The betas are victims all the same. I just hope... I think that these two that we parties with are alright with it. The ones who are taking a problem with betas seem to be older or just hard-asses.

"Yeah," I agreed, "dad is part of the research wing, and aunty is a genius."

"Like me," Asuka boasted, trying a little harder to push the limelight off of the other side.

"So," I said, directing attention to the other two members in our party, "tell us about yourselves, if you don't mind."

Kirito rolled with it. "I play games. Solo normally, but today's an exception. If I want to survive, I have to get stronger."

"I... I only want to stay me in here." Asuna hasn't said much, but this told me something.

"Yourself," I asked.

"Even if we all die tomorrow, I don't want to die rotting away in the Town of Beginning. I would rather die on the front line." My god... She might be... well... she's better than me. All we wanted was to survive. It's all I've been thinking about for Asuka and myself for a month. I mean, sure. We saved a couple players from getting killed here and there, but she wants to get into the main fight and die helping them.

"You won't die." Kirito and I almost said this at the same time. Asuka looked over at me, clearly shocked at my declaration. Asuna lowered her head under that hood. I caught a glimpse of crimson and a smile as she vanished under the hood.

I looked at Kirito, who said "I won't let my party members die." He reached over the table. "Job-san." I saw what he was trying to do and took his wrist in my hand. He did the same and we shook.

"I think that settles it," I said quickly.

We settled in for the night after a couple hours of eating and drinking. I still don't understand the value of the costly wines and liquors offered at the tavern, but Asuka loves them, citing the craftsmanship in making them and the taste above all else. In SAO, alcohol didn't have the same effect as alcohol on Earth. There was a big stink about 'virtual drugs' back when SAO was announced, and Nerv canceled that line of in-game items for recreational use. They exist, but as pale duplications of their original forms.

In the large, but mostly unfurnished room Asuka and I rented, I welcomed Asuna and Kirito with a "welcome home" to their obvious discomfort at being inside, what was effectively, a stranger's home. So I made it theirs as well, adding them to the 'family' list and giving them keys.

"T-thank you, Job-san," Asuna said to me. I blushed and turned, earning a laugh from Kirito and a jab in the virtual ribs from Asuka.

"Stupid Shinji," Asuka said as she sat down on her bed and shifted outfits to her casual wear. It consisted of an off-yellow shirt and trousers. I only recently became able to stop staring.

I directed Kirito and Asuna to two of the open beds we were renting. They chose beds opposite one another. Odd, as I just assumed they were together. They seemed close when we met... maybe just natural chemistry or something. What do I know?

It just went on like that... all the way through two in the morning. A little while later, after changing out of my normal armor, I crawled into the bed near the window across from Asuka. We turned in around then. Sleeping here is... strange. But I'm getting used to it. It's like sleeping on a cloud, but somehow you get stiff from the stillness of it all. I don't really know how to describe it better. Even if the locks on the room were deadlock sealed, I was paranoid. In this game, nothing opens a deadlock seal. You can't break the lock by smashing it or open it via a lock pick skill. I still wanted to be near the windows in case someone figured out how to get past those. I could set up traps at the door, and did, so that wasn't as big a deal. Still...

** 21_November_2022**

** Apollon's Tower - 11:24**

We arrived that morning at ten at the entrance to the Slopes of Apollon, a steep climb to the Apollon's Tower at the top. There were more than three dozen players, all in groups of roughly six. Ours was the smallest, at four. The lead group, the one that Diabel established, was nine. The trek up the slopes was easy enough, only difficult when we were attacked. I volunteered to act as forward scout because of my abilities in ranged attack. The worst I had to deal with were level three mobs designed to throw people back down the slopes with barrels.

At the top, in front of the portcullis that separated us from the first boss battle, Diabel stopped us. "Friends, we have gathered here today to prove that we can take back our freedom!" He never leaves the character he made for himself. I wonder if he's actually like that in real life. I think he and Asuka would be at each others throats in moments on the outside. "Remember the plan. Trust your team. Good luck and gods speed to you all. Let's go."

He turns around and the entrance opens with a blinding light. Someone yelled "charge," and everyone poured in by party. Once inside, we separated into lines of parties ready to attack. I brought up my crossbow and set it for single shot refill. Asuka got her massive sword out and stretched into a stance I had seen a thousand times over the last month. She fought like a berserker. No defense, just pure attack. And it somehow worked with me blocking enemy attacks with my bolts... and plenty of healing items at the ready. I pulled one just in case.

Kirito stood in a strange stance as well. His left foot was far out in front of him. He held his sword in his right hand behind him almost touching the ground and his left hand seemed to be used for defense here. Asuna was... well not as impressive. She just got into a basic stance for her sword type, rapier, ready to move at a moment's notice.

I didn't really notice anyone else's stance or preparations. The plan called for everyone to send one person at a time to beat on the boss. That meant that about five people would get hits in, switch and hit, switch and hit. Our team, the only one here with a ranged user, will be getting two hits in per round of this for that reason. It all comes down to math and reaction time.

The room began to glow. I looked up at a roar coming from the ceiling. A large red demon fell with three smaller, human sized mobs from a high perch. On landing, Yog-Stock the Defiler's health bar rose until it had four fully green bars. His partners, Dee's Sentinels, had two bars each and looked like skeletal blobs of flesh. It roared again, this time at all of us.

We charged.

The fight was going according to plan. One fighter per round, switch out, again. The sentinels were gone within the first ten minutes. The boss was slowly losing health and stamina. We hadn't lost anyone yet, but there were constantly people switching out to heal and rest for just a minute. This fight was taking a lot out of Asuka. She hasn't had to fight this long at once before. Usually, we took down an enemy or small group in less than five minutes. This had been going on for about thirty by the time the boss was down to the ends of his second to last bar of health. Our group seemed to be beating the average on damage in a single round, but I'd have to check the stats later to find out for sure.

At about noon that day, after just over half an hour of intense fighting, the boss finally fell to one last bar of health. Everyone, tired and beaten, fell back to await his weapon switch and high speed assault.

"Spread out, groups of two!" Diabel called out to the whole team. I'm guessing the groups of two can have one attacker and one defender without putting the whole party at risk. But how could he have that kind of insight?

Out party was healing in the short lull near the middle of the lines of fighters. The lead group was standing behind us, just finishing the same treatments. Yog-Stock leapt from the ground, dropping his weapon. Diabel stepped forward, his sword drawn.

"What's he doing," I heard Kirito mutter.

The boss pulled another sword in midair and began to dive around the room. Diabel said "stand back! I'll finish him!" He charged, waiting for the bouncing to end. The one second hesitation between his speed and Diabel's attack should be enough, right?

"No," Asuka said out loud.

"Wait," Kirito yelled at almost the same time.

The two of them moved forward quickly. Asuna and I followed suit, moving towards Diabel's new front line. The boss reached the ground just as Diabel stopped. Both swung their swords.

Diabel couldn't hold the Defiler's massive weapon back. He was slashed across the chest and sent flying back more than ten meters. Asuka and Kirito ran to him while Asuna and I took up defensive postures against the monster. Kirito reached him first and picked his head up off the ground to hold. Asuka started digging through her menu for a healing potion.

"Y...you. You were... beta testers... weren't you," Diabel says knowingly from his position on the ground.

"You were..." That's all I could hear from across the room. Asuka grimaced. That tells him all he needs. Diabel pushes away the potion she's trying to put to his lips.

"Guess what... so was I."

With that, he vanishes in a flurry of pixels and polygons. Kirito stood up, taking his sword in his right hand and grabbing Asuka off the ground with his left. She stands, but shakes him off of her arm.

The boss roars, sending the dozen players attacking it fleeing in terror at its suddenly more powerful form. Asuna takes up an attack stance next to me.

"No one else is dying to kill this boss," Kirito loudly proclaims, bringing his sword back. Other players stop to stare.

Asuka nods. She takes off in a run, her sword flailing behind her wildly. Kirito runs after her.

"Job!" She used my name here... "Back us up!"

They run past me. "Understood." I whisper before beginning to fire on the behemoth. Of the four thousand HP it has left, my shots are doing about fifty damage each. I have to start critting these hits, or my attacks will be worse than useless. They might run out.

Asuna summons her sword back up and runs in with the rest of our party. She yells as she runs, her cloak fluttering.

I could hardly find a better place to hit than the monster's head. Asuka would take a swing at his torso. Kirito would follow up with a slice to the legs. Asuna finished with a stab to wherever she could find an open spot. I kept firing, taking time to note that most of the collected group had stopped to stare at the powerful barrage we were unleashing. Maybe it's just a heat-of-the-moment thing, but we're somehow doing four simultaneous attacks on a single enemy. The math doesn't work, but maybe that's a good thing. It proves we might just win after all.

The boss thrust his massive sword at Kirito. Asuna switched in at that moment, intent on deflecting. She got in a hit, but the boss took the HP of her cloak and armor down enough to make it vanish. The obscuring cloth turned into a sparkling array of lights revealing a red-haired beauty in a more normal set of clothing given to each player. Asuna took the moment between the boss' attack and block to hit again and switch out. My bolt hit for a critical shot during her attack. Asuka and Kirito ran in for a combined five hundred points of damage.

"Job," Kirito called back, "How are you on ammo?"

I looked at the counter on my heads-up-display. I have twelve shots left. "Enough," I called back. And I meant it.

The three sword users in our party kept beating away at the boss. I switched the crossbow to my left hand, needing the right to be able to load it properly. A second bolt, a third... a twelfth. I'm betting every last power I have on this skill. Asuka turned, seeing me running up with the bow in the wrong hand.

"Kirito, Asuna, fall back. That idiot's finally getting into this fight." Thanks for the ringing endorsement, Langley.

I really hope I know what I'm doing. The boss has about a thousand HP left. This should take out about eight hundred if I can critical attack.

"Langley," I call out to Asuka. She swings her sword around, not activating a skill. I use the momentum as a stepping stone to get up higher than our enemy.

When I'm directly above Yog-Stock the Defiler, I unleash my special skill with a yell of "Death!" My crossbow exploded into a white beam of bolts leaving the weapon at high speed. It looked like an energy beam in that American science fiction movie from the seventies, but I know that it's separate shots firing. I figured this out when I was hand loading my weapon one day. I can fire rapid and high power if I overclock the weapon specs. I can't use this often, as bolts for this thing are rare and this skill destroys the ammunition on impact so I can't pick it up later like I can otherwise. I still have the original twenty, and even a few more that I picked up along the way. But the twelve I'm using won't be reusable.

I reduced the boss' health to about one hundred fifty, at which point, I landed behind the monster and called out "switch!" Asuka switched in, taking a swing that took sixty points. Asuna came in next, hitting for another sixty. Kirito went in last, with a scream of fury meant for the boss, but certainly scared me, and threw him into the air with a slash to his from his legs all the way up to his head.

Yog-Stock the Defiler landed twenty meters behind be and blew up in a rather contained exothermic reaction. Ka-Boom. Our party gathered around Kirito.

After the explosion stopped, everyone cheered as the glow in the room faded. Nearly everyone present leveled up. I didn't, but I'm more than half way to the next level now. I looked over Kirito's shoulder. His menu read 'Congratulation - You got the last attack bonus - Coat of Midnight'

Asuna said "good work today."

The tall, dark man from the meeting walked over. "Congratulations Kirito. This victory is yours. By the way, I am Agil. Pleased to meet you."

My sight went from Kirito's embarrassed expression to the crowd. They were cheering, but now it was for him. I don't want to downplay the group's effort, but this one is really his, I think.

"Why!" A yell came from the group. "Why did you let Diabel die!?"

I looked out into the crowd. They all stopped cheering. It was the man who made a commotion at the planning meeting, Kiboau. I could only watch as the people present slowly began to stare with dark expressions.

"Let him die," Kirito repeated, making it sound like a question. It couldn't be. I saw what happened. Didn't anyone else see? Diabel pushed the potion away.

"You knew when the boss attacks would change," he accused. The people around were looking back and forth at us and each other. Things are getting ugly. "You must be beta testers!"

There it is. That's what that bastard has been building towards for two days now. Here, it's practically a mortal sin to be a beta tester. Though, it is also not acceptable to call anyone out on being a beta tester, especially when there's even the slight possibility of being wrong. Regardless of guilt, some players consider beta testers to be the scum of Aincrad and SAO. It makes me sick to think that they think of Langley like this.

"Where are the others! There must be other betas here. Show yourselves, all five or ten of you!" Everyone was looking around, desperately looking for the guilty players. Thing are getting bad. If he keeps this up, it'll become a witch hunt.

I turned when I heard Kirito laughing. It wasn't a laugh at the absurdity of the situation or in nervousness, but one that could be heard across the massive room, like he'd lost his mind.

The men at closer to the entrance stopped bickering about who to blame and stared at our party member. He began walking toward them.

"A beta tester?" His sight fell to the floor, but I could tell he was ready to pull his sword at any moment. I recognized the stance from time with Langley in SAO. "I really wish you would stop lumping me in with those newbies." What? Could Kirito be...

"What did you say, punk!"

He kept on. "Of the thousand beta testers who played SAO before this, most were new players. They didn't even know how to level up, let alone beat the boss." He stopped in front of Kiboau to stare at the older man with, at best, contempt. "You lot, those here today, are better than them."

People in the room were sweating. Asuka was shaking. I took her arm and walked forward into the crowd. Asuna was nearly by Kirito's side anyway, and I figured that if we had any chance to make it out, it would be in the center of the room with our party. I don't want to fight here, but if I have to...

"But I am different from them," Kirito went on. "I made it farther than any player in the testing. The reason I know about this boss, is because I've faced and killed more powerful creatures above us." He looked up at Kiboau, his contempt turning into a creepy expression. "I know a lot more. Even more than that Rat of an information broker."

"That... that's worse than being a beta tester," Kiboau said, stuttering over word. "That's cheating. You beta tester cheater!" Everyone suddenly turned against us. Calls of beta tester and cheater came around the room at us. Agil and his party were standing near by, but I couldn't expect him to aid us if the group attacks.

"A beater," Kirito said. He must have heard the words floating around and pieced them together. It sounded like he took beta and cheater and combined them. "I like it," he said, to everyone's surprise. "Here on out, never confuse me with those measly beta testers ever again." He moved though menus to equip a long black coat. That must be the last attack bonus he just got... the Coat of Midnight. Kirito turned to walk away. I took one last look at the stunned Kiboau and turned to follow Kirito as well as Langley and Asuna.

Agil watched us as we fled. I held a hand up in an apologetic gesture. He, to my surprise, returned it with everyone watching. I hope that doesn't hurt him later. As we walked, I tried to request him as a friend. I'll have to wait for the reply.

Kirito approached the door to the second floor just as Asuna reached him. Langley and I stopped behind her. I said "Kirito, are you leaving the party?"

"Yeah, I am." He didn't turn around as he responded. The door began to open.

"What about us?!" Langley called. "You partied with us, shared in our time. What now?"

"I would like to know that too, Kirito," Asuna put in.

He stood there, in front of the open door. After a moment, he answered "If you ever find a guild and people you trust, join up. For me..." You're a solo player aren't you? I'd be if not for Langley. I was before this whole thing started.

"But what about you?" Asuna asked.

"I'll go on ahead." He walked into the cloudy portal to the next level, leaving the party as he exited the floor.. None of us could muster the courage to follow him... not yet.


	3. Information Merchants Onlne

**Evangelion Versus Angels Online**

**Chapter Three**

_"Free me / I'll free you_

_Free us from this world_

_We don't belong here_

_It was a mistake imprisoning our souls_

_Can you free me_

_And free me from this world"_

_-Explorers - Muse, 2012_

_**~Job~**_

* * *

I'm still having nightmares. About two months ago, back when Langley and I were still fighting together, we participated in the worst military clusterfuck I've ever seen to that point in the war to defeat Aincrad. The Divine Dragon Alliance, the most powerful guild at the time, grouped with the Aincrad Liberation Front, the largest guild even to this day, to take on Floor Twenty-Five. From the reports, we knew that the boss on that floor was a huge step up in power and evolving tactics from the last one. The DDA insisted, over the ARMY's counter, that we charge in, defeat it quickly using hit-and-run tactics and move on. It had worked with other boss fights, but Langley disagreed. She and I, amongst a few other players, weren't associated with either guild. We worked with them because they were fighting on the front lines. I thought that I'd see our old party members, Kirito and Asuna, on the front, but that proved to be wishful thinking when I learned that the Knights of the Blood Oath, of which Asuna the Flash was vice-commander, were only planning to join the front when they got their numbers and levels high enough. They became the strongest guild on the front after all the crap that happened back then. I never found out where Kirito went. I still don't know.

"You know damn well that this boss is way more powerful than the others," Langley argued. "It wiped out the recon party that you idiots sent up at it!"

The DDA's representative for the floor, a man in his early twenties called Palmer, told her "So has every boss one floor up from the last! What's so different this time, Baron Langley?" People were calling Langley the _Red Baron_ by then for her masterful use of the two-handed sword in only one hand. Though, most of her success was from sneaking and surprise attack, but only one really knew that side of her... she could be devious, but only when she's around a party she trusts. At least, I think that's what it is.

She answered "Haven't you actually read the reports? With the front lines spread throughout Aincrad in a vain effort to clear floors and gather powerful items, we are at a critical low for an attack!" Langley paused, letting the words sink in. She was right too. We were spread too thin to attack at Floor Twenty-Five, but the DDA was pushing for it. They wanted the last attack bonus for the quarter mark boss. A rare GM announcement had been spewing something or other about a special drop all month. Fools. "Most important of all is the opposition force. The boss on twenty-five has at least a hundred familiars to keep us busy, if not more." She paused again, trying to gain the upper hand by shocking Palmer and his Allied Knights. "Many players died to bring us this information."

I needn't go into more detail. I agreed with Langley if only because she and I partied together. I thought differently, and it cost me. That foolhardy attack lost the DDA half their membership and crippled the ARMY. Even now, the ARMY is recruiting members to replace those lost. But one good thing came of it. We killed the Floor Twenty-Five boss and I got another piece of 'last attack' gear: The Final Decision, a dagger that does full sword damage and can be used in tandem with other weapons without a penalty. I rather like my new blade.

** 5 _June_2023**

** Floor 35, Aincrad**

"So, Job," Agil said on seeing the shorter ranger come through the front door of _Agile Agil's Speedy Shop_, "what brings you to my humble shop?" Being in what many in Aincrad call a dive probably isn't good for the secretive reputation I built up, but I need something from Agil.

He opened another chain of his weapon shops on Floor Thirty-Five. He has one every five floors, except for the first floor, where he owns half the business in the Town of Beginning. 'Buy low and sell low' my happy trigger finger. Thief sells for all the traffic will bear and still asks more. The one I'm in mostly stocks items to make a player move or attack faster, as should be implied by the name.

"I'm here for information." That was mostly true. I really need appraisal of an item. Sort of...

"You'd be better off finding the Rat. I'm not an informant and my contacts tend to hate me for sharing their stats and secrets with players on lower floors."

I know that. You should really learn to keep your mouth shut about stats... I know I don't want anyone knowing what I can do. But... I need a different type of information. "I'm looking for any information of this, I though you'd be able to appraise it." I pulled out a crystalline object from my inventory.

"I'll see what I can do, but no guarantees." He looked over the object for a minute or so before saying "All the information I know is that it's called the _Link to Tellus Prime_, and that," he whistles, "only ten were made and distributed in the game."

I was shocked to know I've somehow gotten an item this rare. "But what does it do?"

"That I don't know," the insanely tall weapons merchant said. "Why don't you try it out and see?"

"Because I don't want to waste what ever it does on a test." I really don't. For all I know, it summons a secret boss or turns into a rare drop or something. I need more information. "Do you know of anyone who might know what it does?"

Agil thought on this a few moments. "I might know one person, but he has a knack for putting he nose where it doesn't belong."

"Not the Rat, right?" I was tired of paying her for intel. But damned if she wasn't always right. Now if I could only figure out what the whiskers are for... I'd be a rich man; reward's a Mega-Col to keep it quiet.

"No, not the Rat. This one might charge more, but he knows all about items like this. Call it a hobby."

Sounds like a hacker who gets the specs off the world's admin terminals. My kind of person. "Then who is it?"

"Calls himself Irate. Member of the Knights of Cydonia guild based out of Floor Nineteen."

What kind of person would call himself Irate? "Irate, was it?"

"Yeah. I'd be careful around that one. Rumor has it he's never lost a fight and he might talk your ear off."

"I appreciate the warning. But I don't was to fight, just buy information."

** Same Day - 19:22**

I used the public teleport gate to get to Floor Nineteen, the city of Harkonan. It was a fairly large place compared to the floors around it. Seventeen was a collection of villages surrounding a mountain. Twenty-Two is a bunch of forests and rivers all connected to the near by town. I rather like Twenty-Two, kinda' wish I could afford to live there. But Nineteen reminded me of a large town in the rural parts of Japan. God... I can't even bring myself to call it _home_ anymore. It's only been... what's the date?

You're kidding me. It's the fifth already? I really wish I could find Langley. She blocked the trace that people can usually do on people on their friend's list. I guess the fact that I'm still on hers is a good thing. She isn't dead. Nor has she cut all ties with me. I hope. She is the kind to forget those things until something brings her attention to it.

There are a lot of things I want.

I was directed to a tavern on the outskirts of Harkonan by players who are familiar with Irate. That I say familiar is something... he mostly keeps to himself, even within the same guild. The guild headquarters is a fairly nice looking place for the city vibe that this large town puts out. It's a tall building, probably five stories. The outer decoration looks like something out of the fantasy genre. Not surprising, given the _game_ we're all playing.

I knocked on the front door. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

I heard a light soprano voice behind the door call out "please, come in."  
Pushing the door open, I was greeted by a young woman, short and thin, with light green hair. "Welcome to the guild HQ of the Knights of Cydonia. How may I help you today?"

"I'm looking for an information merchant called-"

The woman cut me off. "You're here for Irate." She sighed. "He's out doing gods-knows-what for the guild, he says." The peaceful demeanor was gone and replaced with a sarcasm born from irritation at the man called Irate. Unsurprising really. "If you want, I can offer you a place to stay while you wait. He might be a couple days though."

I'm not really strapped for time... I did want to find Langley before tomorrow though... oh well. "What do accommodations cost?"

She answered immediately. "If you're willing to share, nothing. If not, private rooms are fifty Col a night. Anything fancy like food also costs extra."

"You have quite the establishments here," I said curtly, but not quite sarcastically.

"We pride ourselves on being a stopping point for front line players. Beds, food, entertainment and information. That's the Knights of Cydonia." She was rather proud of their Martian background, wasn't she? I can respect that. Doubt any one of them will be taken alive if they're all like her.

"So... how about a private room with dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning?"

"It'll come to seventy-five Col. I'll need half up front-"

I stopped her talking by tossing a leather pouch at her. "There's a hundred, call the last twenty-five a gift from Job to the Knights of Cydonia." The pouch actually had five hundred inside, but no one really notices the difference in currency when not actually looking at it. I appreciate that she took me at face value about what was in the pouch. Now I don't have to fake embarrassment when she tries to return the extra.

** 6_June_2023**

The next morning, I woke up to a knock at the door and the same soft voice asking "may I come in?"

I quickly answered yes, allowing her entrance the system wouldn't otherwise allow without me directly turning the knob on the door. Picking myself up out of bed, the young woman, whose name I shamefully forgot to ask last night, turned around suddenly. "What's wrong?" She didn't turn, but I noticed that she was slightly red in the cheek she couldn't turn all the way from me. Ahh... that's it. "Please stay there for a moment." I hopped up out of bed shirtless, but basically clothed, and opened my menu. My selection was the armor I gained defeating the boss on Floor Ten: Duster of the Mountain Peak. It's a white long coat with a cut up the back middle and more pockets than I'd ever need. It was worn over a more modest selection of a white skin suit used normally for hunting in the snowy wild. Honestly, if I'm going to be trapped in a game where death is the only option, I like to have the advantage of not looking like a target. I mean... who would mistake a odd bit of the landscape of Aincrad for a player.

"You can turn around now, I've dressed."

She slowly turned back around. I noticed now that she was carrying a tray of breakfast foods. I suppose this is what I paid for last night. Didn't realize it came with a delivery from such a beauty.

"I've brought you your breakfast. I'll leave it here." She placed the food on the coffee table across the room by a couch.

"There's so much food," I said, "perhaps you haven't eaten yet?"

She stopped in the door frame. "Perhaps... I'll stay for a bite- if I'm welcome." That was surprisingly easy. I usually have to offer more accommodations to not have to eat a meal alone. I hate eating alone.

We ate silently together. There was no way that I'd be able to eat all the food she brought up here, and packing it would only last a couple hours outside an immobile storage container like an icebox. At least, that's how I rationalized it to myself. When we were done, she asked to be excused, to which I answered there was no need to ask, that I had been the one to ask in the first place for her to stay. Before she left, I asked "do you think Irate-san will be back today?"

"I really don't know. If he does come here, you'll be first to know."

"I see." I took one last sip of tea and stood up. "I'll be going into town for a couple hours. If I Irate-san arrives, will you please ask him to wait?"

She hesitated just a bit before saying. "Of course." She left.

Shit. I forgot to ask her name again. Shameful.

Floor Nineteen isn't the largest place to trade, but it does rival the market Agil took over on Floor One. It sort of reminds me of a vast, indoor shopping arcade. With the exception of the humidity this time of the year, it's a shoppers paradise. I was looking for some basic supplies... I promise.

"What do you mean 'ammunition?'" One shop owner said mockingly when I asked about more crossbow bolts. "Ain't no such thing in all of Aincrad," he said, reminding me of those old American movies about the nineteen-fifties. Or was it the eighteen-fifties... never could tell with the Americans.

I pulled my crossbow, a heavily self-modified beginners' weapon the I got in the Town of Beginnings, and put it in the shop keeper's face. "This."

He looked the weapon over, probably appraising the craftsmanship. "You're looking for parts for a custom weapon? How stupid are you?"

Asshole. No one calls me stupid. No one... well. "What do you mean custom? I know I've modified it, but I got this in the Town of Beginnings as a freshman item."

"It has a craftsman's tag, but not one I've ever seen. Here, I'll show you."

The shop owner pulled up a shared window in his menu to show me the tag left by the person who made this weapon. A craft tag is usually a small circle with some design in the middle. This was a circle atop a smallish rectangle, both blood red but separate, with a cruciform sword in the middle pointing down, as if stabbing the symbol.

"Is there any more information on it?"

"Nothing that I can see, and my appraisal skill is over nine hundred." I must have looked perturbed... and dangerous... as the shop keeper said hastily "Either it's original creator kept his name secret from the system, or somehow got a hold of a GM account to erase his credentials. I'd not show this to many people."

"That include yourself?"  
"No. Don't show it to game NPCs or anyone shady. This is what I do."

I tucked the weapon away, ready to use at a moments' notice, but imperceptible except for those with maxed out sight and tossed the shop keeper a large sum of money in small coins. I think he knows what that means. I digress... In other words, not more than ten people total in Aincrad should ever see this item up close like that. Not that many get the chance. "Got it." I turned to walk away. "Oi, owner, do you know how to make one of these?" I tossed him one of the last dozen bolts I have left.

"You need a weapons crafter to make anything like this. It looks similar to how swords are crafted from ingots. Try asking on Floor Thirty about a young woman by the name of Lizbeth. She's still training, but I hear she's the best at making high powered blades. Maybe she can help you."

"Thanks."

Walking away, I heard a chime in the distance. In the center of town, there is an enormous clock tower housing a bell that can be heard a floor above and a floor below in the flying castle Aincrad. Each level is unique and are supposed to be separate. The damn clock is game breaking; has to be. Chime, chime. It's two in the afternoon. Irate must be back by now. I returned to the guild HQ of the Knights of Cydonia to find a short, thin man hanging around the front. I couldn't see his face behind a thin mask, but this may be who I'm looking for.

He turned to face me. "You da' one been lookin' for me?"

I was surprised at his accent and voice. It was the strangest combination of harsh drawl and light, male soprano. "I am. I'm looking for information."

"Yeah," he asked, again, in that odd mode of speech.

"Can we speak somewhere a little less... here?" I didn't want to pull this item out again without being locked in somewhere private and away from prying eyes and open ears.

"Sure. Where've ya' got in?" Almost missed that.

"How about there," I pointed to the center of town, at the loudest, game breaking, clock tower I've ever seen.

"Got'cha." He started to walk away. I quickly sped up to match pace.

**Same Day - 16:52**

It was about two-thirty when we were at the top of the tower and away from people. "I've had this for a while now," I materialized the Link to Tellus Prime item from my inventory. It resembles a crystal made of lapis lazuli and obsidian all mixed into a single, swirling object.

Irate watched as I spun the item in my hand. "May I?" His speech changed a little. More formal now. I handed him the crystal and watched as he examined it using his HUD. "Mind if I play with this a little?"

"What do you mean?"

"You'd be better off not knowing the specifics, but I have certain privileges in this game that I take advantage of to try to help people. Yes or no?" Where had that rough soprano voice gone? I though it sounded off, but I didn't think that Irate was... well... I have no proof, but he's sounding more and more like an admin. I don't really think... or do I?

"Sure, do what you need to. I just want to know what its is."

Nothing happened for a while. He messed with his HUD, something I could never see, while I twiddled my thumbs and checked the perimeter for other players. My perception isn't the best, but not many can hide from me without almost perfect hiding skills. I just couldn't shake the feeling that someone's watching. But if I can't see them...

"I've got it." Irate sounded almost sad when he said that.

"What is it?" My question is simple. It's the sum total of the thought I've put into equipment thus far.

"It's an Easter Egg," he said.

What? What the hell does he mean by that? "Care to elaborate?"

"Not really, but I will anyway. I do expect a slight bonus though. This is something special indeed." That was chancy. What would he have done if I were a PKer?

"Fine. An extra five thousand if it turns out to be something worthwhile. Payment on delivery." Way I see it, my terms are fair. Heh... catch me acting like this a year ago. _Act more like a man, _she used to tell me. But the last time we were together... she almost looked afraid.

"Deal," Irate said, pulling me out of my reminiscence. "Never tell anyone you don't trust about this-"

"That include you," I added quickly, reminding the man in my employee that his life might count on not screwing me.

"Yes. But I'm in this for the money, not the paltry day this thing'll give ya'."

"And," I urged him on.

"This item, the Link to Tellus Prime... Break down the name, kid."

What is there to break down? It's some sort of connection to... Tellus sounds Latin... Tellus... Terra? All right... Earth. Prime? One. Connection to Earth One?

"The item description, something well hidden, reads 'Instant one use item. Be instantly logged out for the duration of eighty-six thousand four hundred seconds. Reminder: Do not remove or attempt to un-power NervGear.'"

My mouth hung open. It was at this moment that something unexpected happened. I don't know if there is a god in this world or the one I used to live it, but it must have been listening today. I saw a silhouette on the drooping sun and Irate ducked in fear.

"Shinji?"

* * *

_**~Langley~**_

* * *

I just stood there in amazement. I didn't really think that sneaking up here was going to lead anywhere. But there he is. I guess working on that skill with the guild paid off.

"Shinji?"

It wasn't a question to ask his identity, but just my way of rationalizing that this was happening. I actually found him, and not a moment too late. It's already most of the way through the sixth of June.

"Langley," he said, turning away from the other man he was standing with. "Is that you?"

Doesn't he recognize me? Of course not, dummy, he just asked by name. I guess I've changed as much as he has. When we parted ways, he was afraid to wear that white coat or use the name he gained with it. I never wore this bloody long coat until I joined the guild. Then no one could not call me the Red Baron; or Baroness. It's like that garish name they gave Job: the White Death. I think they took the sniper thing a little too far, but what can you say about them?

"Of course it's me, fool." That was a little too icy for how I wanted to say it. Erg... I finally find him and all I do is berate him like this...

He just sort of stood there. "I... I see. So... how have you been?"

How have I been? For one, I haven't seen you in almost two months, idiot. I... was almost on you every day for the last week, but you always seemed to get away by just a few meters, a couple seconds. "Well enough. You?"

The other player he was with just sort of stood there, seeming to give us time to chat. Job said "About the same." I could tell it was a lie. He's never been at ease in his life. Maybe he's been looking for me, but then... I turned off the search function on my beacon. He'd never be able to find me that way. Maybe he spend his time asking around or, I can't help but remember his actions on Floor Sixteen, beating information out of top ranked players.

"Who's this," I said after a moment of silence between us. I don't really care, but I suppose it's best to have as much information as possible here. Jeze... I even want information from him?

"This is Irate-san," he said almost instantly. It seems he still trusts me after... well... after what happened on Floor Twenty-Five. "I've been working with him for a little while to figure out a few item descriptions." He smiled as he said the words. He hardly ever smiled when he and I were fighting through the first quarter of Aincrad.

I wonder... is he just happier without me around? It could be that I'm back... I don't even want to think that I have no impact.

"I see... Pleasure to meet you, Irate-san." I extended my hand, rather than bow. I much prefer this as a formal greeting to what was expected of me in mother's country of birth. Not that I disliked Japan; just some of the customs were odd to me. Mother brought me up in a fairly well-to-do house, and only the staff bowed, even if you begged for informality.

To his credit, Irate took my hand and shook firmly. It was a nice reminder of home. "The pleasure is all mine, oh-mighty Red Baron Langley."

I suppose that stupid nickname would come back to get me sooner or later. It had to be my damn coat... and I guess my hair didn't help the name much. And yes, bright red is my natural colour. Unlike some of the other players (and I suppose people on the other side), I don't feel the need to bleach my hair to get a better shade.

"Dearest Job," I decided to poke a little fun at stupid-Shinji for his quest, "me-thinks thy naive knows too much. Shall I surrender a lesson a la Langley?"

Job looked... less like Job and more like Shinji for a moment. He quickly readjusted his mask. He seemed to take on a number of masks for different situations over the last several months. But his 'Shinji' mask is mine. "Baron Langley," he seems to be playing along, "I doth believe in a renewed chance in this life. This man, a mere vassal, shall live."

"Hey," Irate said. "Who are you calling a vassal," he droned out in an odd drawl I hadn't noticed before.

This could be more fun than I thought. "Nay! Stand and reveal thy self at once!"

Job quickly responded with "Long live the king!"

"Doth a specter appear before me," I asked mockingly, trying to remember my Hamlet as well as I could.

"Nay. A simple protector of the weak and SAO's finest."

Never could refuse a chance to pick up his ego a little. Frankly, he's always needed it; as long as I've known Shinji, he always needed someone who wasn't male to boost him up a little. "The mighty Job. Seven of the great beasts of Aincrad fall to you. But are you up to seven more? Or more after that?" It was rhetorical. I followed up with "But of course! Nothing, no monster too large or mighty. The Abaddon and the Count of Vampires, to you they fell. Here he comes to save the day!"

Maybe I went a little overboard. But it only caught up with me when he lowered his head and said "Thank you, Langley." His mask fell off a second time.

But he recovered quickly and said "Irate-san, I think we're done here."

Irate stood there, waiting.

"What do you want in return for your services," Job insisted. I suppose Irate and Job had finished as I revealed myself. Though... I couldn't hear the conclusion of that business from my hiding place. I would have to ask later.

He just stood there. What was up with him? Maybe his connection faltered? No. That would mean... at this second...

But after a few seconds, he shook his head and asked "What were you saying?"

I was going to ask what just happened when Job interrupted my first syllable. "You broke communication for a moment. What happened?"

This was a mask I wasn't familiar with. I don't like it. I've never seen him this serious before. But... what's the feeling I'm having. It reminds me of how he used to be when we were little. He used to be so cold towards me. The only person he would open up to was his father, and that stopped around the time we got into our last year of middle school. I wonder what brought on the shift. Knowing him, it was more than a hormonal thing. It had to go deeper.

"I don't know. It felt like I was paralyzed, but I wasn't getting any sensory input from this avatar," Irate said, his face twisting in puzzlement.

"Interesting. I've seen this before." Another mask? It was similar to the old Shinji, but more calculating. The way he said the words, like he had Irate under a microscope.

It could have been me, but I could have sworn that Irate-san twitched at Job saying he'd seen the phenomenon before.

Job turned to me and said "remember back when this all started?" I shook my head. "Nearly every player within a few days of the death game being announced went offline for several hours. It caught my by surprise, you just collapsing in the middle of the field outside the third village on Floor One."

Job's face contorted, probably in remembering the horror on his face and the drained, white cheeks as he watched Langley fall to her knees and, finally, on to her face, for no apparent reason.

"And I remember waking up to you sleeping," I said, myself recalling when I woke back up, Job seemed to have just fallen to the same thing.

When I shook him back then, and he didn't wake up, I went out into the tavern to gather information. What I learned about what was happening to him and what had happened to me was... disconcerting to say the least. Apparently, the monster who trapped us all here gave each player a short reprieve to get transferred to a proper hospital. How kind.

"I think the same think just happened again to you, Irate-san." He sounded... less sure then he did only a moment ago. I couldn't keep track of his shifts in personality. Was he always like this, or didn't I care to notice?

"Did it," Irate asked, bemused at the prospect.

What's going through his head?

"I think we should-" Job started to talk as Irate vanished in a game-effect usually reserved for NPC spawning and player teleports. He was gone in a flurry of light and cubes.

I could only stand there, mouth agape at the empty space before us.

Job, on the other hand, immediately pulled up his menu terminal and began typing. "Access what's left of the-" Not that I could hear what he was saying, half of it was muttering. "-be done with game masters account-" Or for that matter, something about controlling the GM accounts... Just what is going on here?

"Oi! Job!" I tried to get his attention, but he was engrossed in the terminal and still mumbling to himself half recognizable code. "Stupid-Shinji!" It was a shrill sound that only a certain, angry half-German/half-Japanese girl could produce. Luckily, I fit the bill quite well. That did it. Job jumped a meter in the air, hit his head on the ceiling of the clock tower and lost ten hit points for his trouble.

"Glad I got your attention," I said triumphantly. "About time you paid a little attention..." I trailed off as soon as the words formed in my mouth. It wasn't about him paying attention to me. It was about me paying attention to him.

"I'm sorry, Asuka." And he used my name. Make me feel worse about all this, why don't you... We've been here about two thirds of a year and the idea that the players once had names on the other side has all but vanished. Even I stopped thinking of SAO as a game eventually. It's life. Life or die. Same as it's always been, but with more monsters and weapons and blood coloured coats.

Idiot. Don't apologize to me. "It's fine," was all I could say... and it sounded cold. "But... what happened to Irate-san?"

I nearly made him forget about his current mission. That terminal was still up and buzzing away trying to do... something for Job that would help Irate. "The computer is working on the path his data took so we can track him."

The computer? Machines are impossible in Aincrad. The IPEA has been trying for as long as I've been part of them. "What do you mean 'computer?' No matter how high player skills are, creating complex machines isn't something SAO allows."

"I never said I made it," was all he said on the topic. I took that as 'If you don't want to get in trouble for knowing, don't ask. Please.'

"Fine," I finally said. "But... well..."

He stood there, clearly not knowing what I was trying to say. He should totally know, it is today!

"I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Shinji." There. I said it. Was that all it took? Two months of being pissed at him and all I wanted was to say that? I guess that's enough. I suppose now isn't the time, but we never really had any 'timing' between us to speak of.

He still stood there. Even as his computer bleeped in our ears, he only stood there. I thought, if only for a second, that he was disconnected. But when I waved my hand over his eyes, they tracked perfectly. So what was up?

"Asuka..." He said, sounding a little out of breath. "You... Thank you."

Thank you? It's something I hadn't really heard in Aincrad. It's as if everyone forgot manners when we were all abducted into this castle. I guess he said it all the time (along with 'I'm sorry' and 'It was my fault') when we partied together, but I never really noticed before now.

That might be why I didn't expect what happened next.

* * *

_**~Author's Notes~**_

**I really dislike using Author's Notes in a fan fiction. I think they take away from the fiction a little too much. Though, I do have a few things to say. First off, I would like to thank the wonderful people reading and reviewing my latest attempt at a crossover. You have been what's keeping me writing (well... you and the voice of a certain writing teacher from my university in my head (damn you...)). Second, I'm reposting this (chapter three) as a longer chapter. The original was... well I think it sucked compared to the first two chapters, so I took what I had, added in what I was writing as chapter four, and changed perspective (and hopefully voice) to liven up the party (which, despite the bad pun, will be coming back fairly soon). Lastly, I'm going to be jumping around in the time line a little, as the medium that SAO was written in gives me a little freedom in what parts I write and post first. I'll keep posting the date with them so it stays not-confusing. This just means that if I post the next chapter, which is looking like part of the end game, I can still go back and fill in more parts of the story without breaking myself or what I tried to set up. **

** Thanks for reading, and as always, enjoy. **


	4. Asking Questions Online

_**A little late, but better late than abandoned. I don't know when the next one will be up, but keep an eye for it. Tell your friends and review please. **_

* * *

**Evangelion Versus Angel Online**

**Chapter Four**

"The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and ridiculous and sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles."

-Unknown, recorded c. 102 AD

* * *

**Unknown Date - Skies Above Aincrad**

And there I was... standing on a glass floor staring down at the flying castle that I've come to know as my very own Special Hell. "How is this possible?" I could only mutter to myself. I'm... alone. I don't want to be alone. All I could do is shout out to the metal structure below me "what now! What in the hell do I do now! Kirito! Asuna! Langley!" The last thing I recall... Irate vanished in a weird flurry of light. Then... nothing. I was here in some sort of no-space.

Asuka, no, Langley told me 'happy birthday' then everything turned white. It wasn't a teleport, at least, not one I've seen before. I can't believe I'm going to die here. "What now! What happened!" All I can do is shout and beat on the glass walls that seem to be impenetrable to my dagger. I could try other weapons, but I've been hit by my own attacks before. They suck. At this rate, my stamina bar will drop to zero and I'll die. Well... maybe the real GMs will be kind and make this glass prison disappear before I starve to death. I'd rather it happen quickly from fall damage than slowly get stamina sickness. Though... that's only a rumor. I wonder if it's true that players who don't eat die. I don't want to find out this way. I never want to find out.

What was Irate thinking? I mean, that had to have been a GM terminal. I mean... I know GM terminals. But at least my hacks are clean. His was... Shit! I could hack better sleeping!

How long have I been up here? I couldn't stand to shout anymore. I figure I'm shouting at nothing... or... maybe that bastard Kayaba Akihiko can hear me. And he's laughing. "Can you hear me," I shouted again, gathering the will to, from my unbreakable glass cell. "Can you hear me, Kayaba Akihiko! Who in the hell do you think you are?" The words brought calm I didn't know I could experience at the moment. All I want it to get back to Langley. No... I want to take her home and never come back to this place.

"I... I hear..."

"What was that," I asked softly, not that there's anyone to hear up here.

"I... I am... I am here..."

"Again." What is it? Is something... Is it you, Kayaba Akihiko? You've come to taunt me...

A black clad figure appeared outside my prison. It just floated there. Though... I guess my cell is transparent glass. It might look like I'm just floating here. The creature seemed to radiate darkness in one form or another, because the light around it looked compressed. As if the light bent around him. It doesn't surprise me really... physics takes a back seat in this world. I prefer the more or less _known_ laws of reality back home.

"I am here... Ikari... Ikari Shinji... Shinji... Ikari... No... Wrath... Wrath of the... Divine... Child... No... Perhaps... Job... Like man... Pursued by demons and gods and humans alike... A joke on his faith... Ancient writings from foolish humans..."

What am I hearing? His voice grinds on my ears. "Who are you?"

"Interesting... She... The Ikari-Prime... She asked 'what' rather that 'who...' You are something wholly new..."

"Answer my question. Who are you?" I'm not really in any place to be demanding anything, but trying and getting turned down is better than never trying at all.

"I am death."

I took a step back, totally caught off guard. "What does that mean?" And why am I stuck on the questioning side of everything. I don't know anything.

"I am death and fear and rage and I am," he said unhesitatingly. "This I told the Ikari-Prime on another time plane. In another space."

Wait... I've heard this before... Where? "Death? What does that mean? I still don't understand what you're talking about!"

"The second..."

"The second?"

"The second Ikari-Prime... male... visual enhancements... broad... I said... I said to him..."

"What did you say to dad?" It's obvious it's mom and dad he's talking about... where would this guy have seen them? And what's up with calling them 'Prime?' Let me think... in the animal kingdom, a prime comes before progeny, right? So he's referring to them through me? And... linguistics... one addresses who he speaks to as himself. Is this his way of addressing me? He's acting like a broken NPC or something.

"I am death. Death of Yui Ikari..."

I flinched as he continued.

"Death of the Akagi. Death of the Sohryu. Death to the progenitors... Death to Lilith, to Adam, to them all."

"Why all this death? And," I said, raising my voice, "who the hell are Lilith and Adam?"

"Why... a different question... the second Ikari-Prime... he... he said," an audio recording of father's voice asking "And what about me?" came through my ears. "I am, yet I do not understand your question. I do not understand the why. Why do you not understand?"

That's the first question he's asked. "Because something doesn't make sense," I answered. If he's confused, why not see about getting him to think a little.

"What is not understood?"

That's right... keep talking. I'll know more the more you talk. "I don't understand the question. Each of us is missing something. You tell me what you know, and I might be able to understand."

He seemed to hesitate a moment. "I see. I understand now. In the beginning, there was the word and god and the word was god and god was the word..."

"Wait," I said, getting him to stop, "what about more recent information?"

"I see, Job."

What? What's going on? Why is he all kinds of cooperative now? Wait... he changes his means of address.

"It is said that the grave is open and the destruction is rampant. It is the path of Job to bury the past and kill Death. I am death. This is my realization. This is why others have died. A plot spanning a mere quarter century." Is it me... or does he sound more... human?

"So if I have to kill death, and death is you, then what? Try to kill you from my prison?" How the hell am I going to get out of this one? I mean, this guy seems to think I have to kill him and has a flare for the dramatic. I mean... What's with the biblical references? They're so last century.

"Your prison is broken. You fall back to the new Earth. It is your home."

"What do you," before I could get to the word 'mean,' the floor under me vanished and I fell.

"Your Death awaits you. Find him atop the new Earth."

The voice is different now... it doesn't have the harsh metallic grind to it. He sounded almost feminine for a moment there.

"Akihiko is not your enemy."

The voice is clearly feminine now. The black cloaked figure disappeared as I fell. By the time I got into a position where I could see above me, a white figure was floating where my cell had been.

"The real enemy is trapped on the top-"

The voice was cut off and I felt myself land... hard. I landed on the outside of one of the upper floors of Aincrad. I could see an open floor below me, but his one was covered in a metal shield. Probably a way to keep players from skipping boss fights to access higher levels. Not that it would do them any good to fight over powered mobs before they're ready anyway. If I drop a floor or two at a time, using my daggers to control the fall, I might be able to land without dying. "Where's my teleport crystals when I need them?" Back in the tavern, dummy. Didn't think I'd be needing them.

_Still, _I thought as I fell down, _what was all that about? Who is this Death guy? Who was the other voice?_ Questions for another day. That death guy mentioned mom and dad. He even said he'd kill Dr. Sohryu and Aunty Naoko. But... I don't have any idea who Adam or Lilith are... more of dad's friends? Probably code names of one sort or another. I mean... with all the obscure ideas he stole from the Christian bible, he might not be the only one involved.

I don't get any of this. Once I land, I'll need to get in contact with Langley.

* * *

**6_June_2023 - 23:56**

**Floor 35, Aincrad**

I eventually reached the front line floor of Aincrad around eleven at night on the same day I left. You know, if you had to descent a mountain on your birthday, you'd probably be a little sour too. I never understood why people were so enamored with 'Immoral Objects.' When I landed on the border of Floor Thirty-Five, people were staring me down like I was some random event or something. It was just disconcerting to be the center of attention. Needless to say, I ran off to the center of the main town quick as I could.

By the time I made it back to the Knights of Cydonia HQ, the night guard had already closed the gate for the night and a clock visible from outside read close to midnight. I wonder if I'll be able to find lodgings tonight...

"Hey," I called to a guard through the gate, "can I get back in tonight?" No point in giving up before I start. Then again... that's what got me in trouble back on Floor Twenty-Five

The guardsman came over with another man on duty. "What's your purpose here?"

"I'm looking to stay the night," I answered.

"I can't open the gate without permission. Can you come back?"

"I was here last night, if that makes this easier. We must have seen one another sometime in the last day or so," I insisted, betting that he'd seen me around even if I hadn't paid enough attention to see him.

"Can't say I have, player. I can try to get my superiors, but can't make any promises. That all right?"

I guess it was pretty shitty of me to put him in this position anyway. Nice to see someone who takes guard duty seriously in SAO. "I'll wait. Anything dangerous come by this time of night?"

"Not that I've ever seen," the other guard, a women judging by the voice if not by her height, said. "Only ever see night-owls and tireless NPCs this late."

The first guard went to find his boss, but the female guard stayed behind. "It's already after midnight?"

"Yeah," she answered quickly. "That a problem."

"Not as such, just... disappointing."

The guard removed her mask and asked "why's that?"

For a second there, she almost looked like someone I used to know. Weird déjà-vu moment. "I turned fifteen today- well, yesterday now."

She perked up. "Well, happy birthday then."

"Th-thank you. That means a lot in here."

"I know. My birthday's in December, so I didn't know many people in Aincrad when it came around. Didn't have much chance to celebrate even if I had. Spend the whole week on this pain in the ass quest to find a rare item."

She's very talkative. I wonder if she's always like this, or just talking to kill time.

"Damn thing turned out to be a key to another quest. Sold it for a few thousand Col and settled on Floor Twenty."

Stranger and stranger. "If you have a place on Twenty, why are you here?"

"What, you've never worked before- wait, are fourteen year olds allowed to work in Japanese cities these days?"

That's common knowledge. "You don't know? The most recent child labour laws say that anyone twelve and up can hold a job. There are restrictions for certain ages below twenty, but it's fairly loose. Why don't you know that? Aren't you Japanese?" I guess I could have been nicer about it, but come on! Even the first-years in my junior high know about labour laws.

"I am," she defended. "I just haven't been home in a few years, that's all. I've been working in the EU since 2018."

"Where in the EU," I asked, wondering if only to pass more time. Where is that guardsman with permissions?

"Germany. I'm a computer engineer... or at least, I was before getting stuck here. Now," she brandishes her sword, a short blade in the ancient Japanese style, "I'm Mariko now. And a Samurai."

"That's your real name? I hardly ever see real names in MMOs."

"No," she says, turning her head and blushing. "It's a reference to a show I watched when I was a kid. Long story," she says dismissively, "before your time. Don't ask."

"All right. Maybe another time," I said, not really wanting to hear the story in particular. It was something grandfather on mother's side once said... 'You don't piss in a mud puddle; you might have to drink from it.' I guess it makes sense, if it's something that a seventy year old really shouldn't say to a six year old.

"Maybe," she said. "Want me to find out where Skara is?"

"Skara," I asked.

"The other night guard. He's been gone a while to be getting permission to open the gate."

"Sure. I don't want to be outside all night."

She looked slightly annoyed, but I have to be honest. If I'm remembered as an honest asshole, it would be enough. Just as long as no one has negative memories of me. She turned on her heel and walked into the Cydonia HQ.

I heard a scream moments after she vanished through the front portcullis.

I leapt over the gate, something that I could have done the whole time, and ran into the lobby I was only moderately familiar with from my first visit to the Knights' base. The sight would have made me lose my bountiful dinner, even a day after it, if this had been the other world.

The guardsman, Skara, I think it was, was impaled on a spear holding him up on a wall. His armor was losing durability, but his health was stable due to the 'safe zone' status of the base and town. Mariko's helmet was dented and half way across the room from where she seemed to have collapsed. Was she attacked, or was the helmet dented before? I wasn't paying enough attention to it.

First things first, pull the spear from the guardsman and check on Mariko. Pulling it, I added it to my inventory for safe keeping and went to Mariko. She wasn't hurt, but it looked like she was attacked.

"You there," I said to the guard. "Skara, get over here."

He came over, but from my order or out of comradeship to his partner, I didn't know. "Yeah."

"Check her for any other injuries. I think she's just out, but I don't want to leave any weapons or such to drop her durability farther."

He looked me over a bit before following orders.

"Sir," he saluted, before tending to his companion. Now... where is the offender?

I made my way through the building, expecting to find someone who doesn't belong. I made it over the gate without a problem, so whoever it is isn't necessarily a member or a monster. Turning down the hall to the low-quality guest quarters, I spotted a player stumbling out of his room. I ran to him.

"What happened," I asked.

"Paralysis," he groaned out. "Low... level... still... move..."

"I get it. Where?"

"Bed... dark..."

I laid the man down, unconcerned that he'd fall under more attack than this, and went to the man's quarters. It's dark. I pulled a fire-starter from my active pack to get some light into the room. It was knocked from my grasp and I took an attack. No HP damage, but I was on my back and nearly defenseless. "What the hell-" I managed to yell out before my attacker leapt from the edge of the light from the hall and on top of me. I stared up at him.

"Who are you to interfere," the cloaked player asked me.

Never answer a question with a question if you can help it; especially in situations like this. Screw that. "Who am I to stop an attack," I said, baiting him.

"Who indeed... Who's to die," he said, pulling back into a system skill attack. His weapon didn't look bigger than a dagger, but it didn't have a hilt or guard. It almost looked like a bladed stick, rather than a weapon.

The attack struck me in the torso, making me scream in simulated pain as the metal entered my body. An alarm on my HUD blared. "A poison," I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Freezes the bones. Stay there and this will all be over soon," the hooded man said.

I... I can't move. I slumped down to the floor, my arms and legs not moving at will as always. This is... discomforting. My body fell to the floor. I didn't feel the soft impact of my behind setting down or the harder impact of my head falling to the left and finally pulling my body over with a resounding thud. I bet it would have hurt if my connection wasn't muddled with the poison. How can I move.

Just then, I heard another scream in the building. Where are those bastards now! I can't believe I'm stuck here like some newbie player, unable to do anything useful. What can I do... options. The poison counter reads fourteen minutes and change left. This isn't a powerful one, but more focused on duration, it seems. I can move my torso, but my limbs and head are totally out. What else? I have that dispel poison item, but can I get it with only minimal body parts to move? This could very well be bad.

The door opened. Light shone in on me from the hallway. I could still hear fighting and the occasional scream going on out there, so I think I might be in trouble. If those freaks know who I am, I might just be killed right here... well, not here, but maybe dragged out for monsters to eat me... or forced into a duel.

I... I don't want to die.

I closed my eyes tight, waiting for the end to come.

"What are you clenching your eyes for? Come on, get up. We have to move."

I opened my eyes. It's still dark, but the paralysis counter on my HUD is gone and I can feel my limbs again. I activated Dark Sight and looked around again. Langley... in that bright red coat with her sword. But... how?

"What's going on, Asuka?" I switched to her name. She flinched at it only slightly.

"Don't call me that here," she said icily. "An Orange guild is attacking the Knights of Cydonia. I figured you'd come here looking for Irate and myself, so I came around when I though you'd get back. But..." She glanced around at the unconscious members and those still being held to the walls by small weapons. "Well, lets get these guys and go for those Orange schwanz leckers." I didn't catch that last part. I don't think I wanted to anyway. "I think I know who they are."

But... how did you know I'd be taken in the first place? "Fine. Then you can tell me what's going on. I'm tired of asking that question."

"Shinji," she said, even ignoring her request not to be called by her name, "I didn't intend to hide all of this from you. Help me one more time before I tell you the score?"

I looked at her, looking and sounding more earnest than ever before. "Yeah, I will."

"Let's go."

We pulled the members of Cydonia from the walls, pocketing whatever weapons or other items were holding them in place as we went.

As Langley got the last person from the inner wall, I went down the passage to the main office area. Last time I was here, I noticed the hall but not where it led. I guess the guild leader works down there. When I got to the end of the hall, I saw a notice on the door that read 'Leader of the Shining Knights of Cydonia - Matt-san.' Peeking inside the open door, I saw three men in black cloaks surrounding who I supposed was the leader. He sat quietly in a somewhat unimpressive plush chair in front of an equally unimpressive looking wooden desk.

"What can I do for you gentlemen this fine evening," he said in a rather fine and formal Japanese.

"Surrender the... goods... and property... of your guild... to us. This is all," said the man in the center of the three.

The Knights' leader leaned back in his chair. "Is that all? You'll not hunt my members any longer?"

This time, the man on my left, a young man with a high pitched voice, said "of course. You have my word."

And the one on the right, slouching and bobbing back and forth a bit, said "on our honor, you will not come to harm based on the actions of Laughing Coffin."

Honor? As if. These guys are barely a step from PKing. They decimated the building and attacked every member in the dead of night. Screw this. But I need a plan.

As if reading my thoughts, Langley appeared behind me. She pointed to the front door, glancing at it to direct me. We crept back down the hall and out of the building.

"What's the plan," I asked.

"What do you mean by that? We're getting out of here," she said matter of factly.

No way in hell we're leaving them. "Didn't you see what happened in there!" I was practically yelling, though... I managed to keep my voice low, thinking of the Laughing Coffin members still inside and probable within range to hear.

"They'll be fine. A couple weeks of poverty, nothing more. The economy in Aincrad is a little more forgiving than the Japanese one."

Is that your attempt at justifying this? "We need a plan to get their money back! We need to help them!"

"No," she told me, "you _want_ to help them out of some misguided heroism!" Langley snapped.

"Fine! It might be misguided... but..." I don't know what to do. I can't kill them... but that's how you get wealth in SAO. You kill or you die. "I have to. Otherwise, everyone would be sad and angry at me."

"Is that your reason?"

"It is," I replied instantly.

"Fine then. I have an idea," Langley offered.

"Well?"

"Lure them to the PK zones and we bluff. Tell them my guild is on the way and throw up a flare or two." It sounded so simple, but it was a huge gamble.

"You're sure it'll work?"

"No way to know until we try," she answered, sounding slightly like our homeroom teacher for just a second... irresponsible lush that she is.

So that's what we did. We waited until those members of Laughing Coffin left the Knights of Cydonia headquarters and ambushed them.

"What the fuck," screamed one of the members, the one with the high voice.

"After them, we can't have outside witnesses," the calmer, older sounding member said.

What does that mean, 'outside witnesses?' Wait! From how the Knights of Cydonia were attacked, not many members would have seen Laughing Coffin. Maybe the only person inside who saw them was the leader. Not that it would matter. He paid them to leave his guild alone in the future.

"Run," Langley said, bringing me out of a moment's hesitation while in thought.

We ran from the members, taking a little damage to out equipment along the way. These guys were fast. The two of us could only stay a short ways ahead of them without running the risk of getting slashed with their weird blades.

I took one more poisoned stab to my back as we entered the PK zone. Luckily, the blade didn't damage me much and the poison wasn't much to speak of: ten seconds of reduced speed. When we got another fifty or sixty feet into the forest, Langley sent up three coloured flares, green, yellow and red, in succession.

The members of Laughing Coffin stopped a mere dozen paces from us. "You either leave your plunder, or face the Agency in all it's power," Langley called out to them. "Look around you," she waved her hand in a large semi-circle. "Can you Orange players guess how many of my comrades are already here? One more? Five? All of them?"

All of them is pushing it, but they might buy it. The Agency isn't a power to be ignored, especially once a member have revealed him (or rather her) self.

The members of Laughing Coffin paused, seemed to think the offer of surrender over a moment and the leader opened his inventory. "This... is the cost... of surrender... tonight's takings... We have no quarrel... with the Agency."

Langley walked over to the leader of the opposing guild. "Thank you. In the future, if you plan to plunder, perhaps think of working with the Agency. You would make more than this pittance in an hour of servitude to us."

The guild leader handed Langley the container of goods and money nodding "perhaps... one day... Red... Baron... Langley."

With that, the Orange guild vanished into the darkness.

"Is it over," I asked.

"For now," Langley said. "You can all go now," she called out loudly.

"I thought you were bluffing."

"I was. But better that the vanquished continue to think so, rather than leave suspicion in the air. Wouldn't you agree, Aincrad's best ranger, Jo~b."

We got out of that, scared an Orange guild out of their loot, and got the Knights' money back... all on a bluff. I call that a good night.

* * *

**7_June_2023 - 06:34**

We returned the money and goods to a very grateful guild and went on our way. Langley refused to speak until we finally left the Floor.

"Another good deed done in this hellhole of a video game," she said once we got to Floor Three.

"What is that suppose to mean," I said, repeating the question I've been asking for three days.

"Aren't you happy? I did exactly what you wanted and you're still asking for more?" She flicked me in the forehead.

"Ow!"

"Well... maybe I can let you in. I'll have to ask the director- sorry, sub-director."

"You're not making any sense," I told her, rubbing my forehead.

"I might never make sense again," she laughed. "This whole world's about to be turned on its head and you're asking for a guided tour. You sure about that?"

Not that I think I can really turn you down at this point. "Yes."

"Then take my hand."

"Wha-" I tried to say before Langley took my right hand in hers and pulled a teleport crystal.

"Special teleport: Agency!"

We were enveloped in a white light that didn't look like a normal teleport. The light effect is too... glittery.

When I opened my eyes, we were in a modern office building. A receptionist was standing at a desk in a sterile-white room.

"Welcome back, Red Baron. Welcome, Ranger Job, to the main offices of the International Project Evangelion Agency."


	5. Invasive Elements Online

**Evangelion Versus Angels Online**

**Chapter Five**

"Who needs a lock when you have a nail gun?"

-R. R. Roberts, on why he doesn't lock his door at night

**14_September_2025 (Displacement at approximately 3.0719 x 10^9 seconds)**

**Floor 92, Aincrad**

_**~Roland~**_

When trying to put someone in a trap, there is always one thing to remember: never place the wrong thing in a trap; it might just trip you up. At least, that's one of the many unwanted lessons my shitty excuse of a parent tried to impart on me before I kicked his ass and left home. But... that's a story for another day. Now, I'm getting a little tired of this game I've forced on myself and my comrades.

It's funny. In all my studies, I never quite figured out what Kayaba Akihiko was trying to do with Sword Art Online. He never told anyone. Well... that's probably not true. He might have told _someone_ who never told anyone else. I've been to my own future; and I know the history books got too much wrong to let go. Be that as it may, it still leaves me without a clue about the motivation for the incident called the _SAO Crisis_ (and later, the _First SAO Incident_). I have a few ideas, but they're nothing more than vague mutterings that I scribbled down one night back when I cared about his way of thinking. Skye once worked out what my thoughts were into a research paper she penned. Think she got some award for that... must have been the _Anderson Award_ or something. I hope some useless academic spent a restless week trying to disprove it.

Anyway; getting back on topic. Here I am, come all this way to try and figure SAO out, and I get bored less than half way through the floating castle. I guess I'm not totally bored, but I don't even bother going to the front anymore. Nothing exciting ever happens. We get together, usually lose a man or two figuring out the bosses' style, and move in for the kill. Day in an day out. Hell, it's almost a science. About ten days per floor. But the front loses people with every new floor. Someone always finds a girlfriend, or wants to settle down and stop fighting, or just can't take it anymore... like me.

I started taking my company for granted a while ago too. Fairy came in here with me. So did Skye and New Vegas... but for what? I wanted to meet the famous Kayaba Akihiko during the incident, but I wanted to meet him before he vanished. Now what? I sit around, knowing I missed my one and only chance? I once heard that this guy I know from a few dozen floors down, Job I think his name was, knows the guy personally. That turned into a dead end. Might track him down again sometime, just to pick his brain again. Wish the Method had a man like that working for our side. And the woman he was with... ooh! The pair of them could have cut Omega's army to shreds in an instant. It's weird that I've never heard of them before. The records had the names, in game or not, of all the players and when they died. By that, I should have been able to track them down... or at least know who they are. Is it possible they had some kind of protection against the media? Perhaps. But if that's the case, I might never find them by researching back home.

Lately, I heard another rumor. He's on the move again. The solo player who beat SAO, the one that front-lines by himself -Kirito, I think- those guys on Iazya's payroll reported that he might have something to do with how Kayaba Akihiko got away on Floor Seventy Five. I doubt he let that lying sack of shit get away on purpose, but you never know. Maybe Kayaba has people planted in the regular players' crowd to add to the spectacle. I mean, all the reports I read said that the guy had a flare for the dramatic... anything to keep the story from getting dull like so many other RPGs. Think about the name he uses in game... the lead character in the best revenge-romance ever written. Didn't matter that the original Heathcliff was a total monster, this one must have thought it ironic or something.

"Hey," I yell, hoping someone's in the house I rented on this floor. The four of us usually traveled together, trying to cover one another so we don't die... not that we would. The version of NervGear we're using is well... not the helmet-shaped death trap that the first version was. Between New Vegas and Skye, the hack they used to get us all onto the Aincrad servers with the newer equipment was spot on. It helps that Skye's skills stem from more advanced computing systems. I don't mean to diminish NV's contribution, but he's only human. Right now, Nana and those scientists from the pasts Japan should be keeping an eye on us. I just hope it was the right thing to do. When we showed them Nana's serial number (FG.2110v1.0), they instantly trusted us. I suppose it was something to do with their previous work which they didn't go very far into. They just looked at each other, nodded, said something about our method of arrival and got to work.

When I don't hear anyone answer my cry, I assume they all went out. They're all free to do so. It's not like I keep them on me 24/7 in this place. I save that kind of treatment for back home, where I can protect them. Right now, we're all lying in a facility I set up in what will be my city one day. I think the building is still standing then... and given that I was the one who had it built (through a dummy, decades ago), it can withstand just about anything. I remember when we used it as a bomb shelter that one time... oh... I'm digressing again, aren't I?

Whatever. I'm going out. As I left the cottage we were calling home on this floor, I winced as the first rays of sunlight I've seen in days hit my sensitive eyes. It's not that my eyes are normally like this, but the way my brain interprets the light here is a little skewed. Even Skye can't get a handle on why it's reacting so poorly with my brain. But it's nothing more than a slight annoyance. Normally, staring at the sun would give an eye UV poisoning in the form of a burn. That's why people see spots and their eyes hurt from staring at the sun. But here, the sun is just a light source. No heat. No ultraviolet radiation. Just the sensation that something might hurt... for normal players. My guess is that the sensors are over compensating for some reason.

I looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of my comrades in the forest that surrounded the house. Nothing. So I decided to go into town for a little while. I pulled out a teleport crystal, something that I have grown to rely on as much as my _skates_ back home. "Teleport: Highlands." With the command, I was taken in a familiar light and flurry effect from my comfortable little house, to the hustle and bustle of the big city... well... about as big as a city gets in Aincrad. It was a sizeable town. Most of the buildings, when compared to the one or two story jobs on most floors, tower at between five and ten stories high. Not anything, really, like my city... but it almost feels like home. It's not so much that I miss my apartment... it's that I'll be three years older than I was when I left, and that's disconcerting to me, is all. Far as I know, temporal displacement doesn't have any nasty side-effects aside the feeling (purely psychosomatic) of being too old or young. None of that sci-fi being stretched too thin to account for the time non-sense of twentieth century fiction.

"Looking for a good time," A crier from a local tavern announces. I ignore him. NPCs are annoying that way. They'll stand in one location saying the same thing over and over all day, every day. Never tiring, never moving. It's odd, is all. What I'm looking for is less crass than this era's drink. Though, I could go for a sweet tea... if the chance arises. Stuff like that doesn't exist here. The food replication algorithms are complex, but rewriting them just to get a favorite drink might alert the wrong people. Last thing I need is to attract attention now.

"-eriencing discontinuity."

I twisted around. "Who said that," I demanded. No one was near me. The paved road I strolled down was empty except for a few virtual mice scurrying away at my sudden outburst. What was that? A bug? Whatever. It was probably my imagination (or madness) acting up again. I kept on my way, looking around for the friends I was here in SAO with.

When I came on a certain shop in town, I turned inside to find one of the people I was looking for. I waved and said "hey Skye, what's up?"

She didn't look up from what looked a lot like a beef bowl, finished slurping it down and wiped her mouth with an arm. Then she looked up. "What's it to you, Red," she said incredulously.

"Ah," I said, knowing what was up immediately. "46, that you?" Not like I had to ask. Awaken 46 is Skye's... more _direct_ half.

"Yeah," she said. "And?"

A pleasure as always. "Can Skye come out and play? I'd really rather speak with her than you." It's not that 46 is particularly... actually, scratch that. I don't want to lie, especially to myself. Let us leave it at this: she is more courageous in interpersonal relationships than Skye is. Forceful, aggressive and a little more than simply disquieting seeing Skye's face with 46 in charge.

"Like you're one to ask."

"Normally, I'd just say something like 'There are more things in-'" Awaken covered my mouth with her hand most of the way through the line.

"I get it," she gasps out. "Just don't force me like this."

"I wasn't forcing you," I said, countering her ever-present innuendo and sitting down across from her. She could be up there in high-command with Captain Jack leading the charge over the hill. Ha! Imagine World War Four with the Innuendo Squad fighting the Flood. So funny.

"Were too," she pouts. It is an irritating arrangement of facial muscles on her, but somehow not on Skye. Maybe I have a soft spot for her, but nothing romantic. "Do that and I might end up screaming all night."

"Yeah, inside your own head." I nod to her. "Any time now."

"Fine, fine. 'There are more things in heaven and earth,'" she said, pressing her lips together sensuously and leaning in at me "'than are dreamt of in your philosophy,' jerk."

With the recitation of what might be the oddest pass code I've ever seen, being called a 'jerk' notwithstanding, Awaken 46 fell into a slumber and my friend came out. "Skye, you all right?" I leaned over the table, ignoring the murmurs of other players in the restaurant. It might looks odd to them.

The young woman, not much more than five foot three, blinked her eyes and didn't seem to notice the noodle sticking out of her mouth. "Huh? Roland? Where am I?"

"In order, dear." I tilted my head like a confused dog, purposely acting silly. "Yes and in an establishment that serves some of the best noodles this side of the front lines. Anything else?"

She blinks again. "I think not," she answers curtly.

"Good. Oh," I exclaim, "you might want to eat that," I say, pointing to her mouth.

She notices the noodle and quickly slurps it up, eliciting a yelp of embarrassment and her cheeks to gain a pink tint. "T-Thank you."

"Any time. Know where anyone is?"

"I don't. _She _must have been awake since leaving the cottage," she says with a pout.

"I suppose so. She was having lunch when I walked in."

"I don't suppose she gave in to sleep willingly," Skye asks, sounding weary at the intrusion on her mind.

"Actually, she's been surprisingly subservient since Floor Eighty Eight. Want to fill me in on that?"

"I don't know any more than you."

Was that an evasion? From Skye? Ever since we got here, she seems... strange. I guess it has been a while. People change.

"But she might know something she's not sharing," Skye continued. "All I remember from that floor was how fast it was beaten. Three days, right?"

"Yeah. I heard that Heathcliff made a reappearance and took out the boss. Rumor had it that the boss there was nearly as strong as that immortal freak. Maybe that's why he came back out, to make the story interesting again. It's getting old."

"Or maybe it was to remind us of the real difference in power," Skye lamented.

"That could be it," I conceded, "or he just wanted one last chance to show off before the end of the game. Remember what Stephen Fry said about him in 2039?"

"I don't. Only you and Fairy really researched Heathcliff. Vincent and I are only along for the ride."

"All right. Fry said that Heathcliff was trying to give everyone a good time."

Skye raised her eyebrow. "I don't follow. Didn't this game... won't this game have a body count in the high six thousands by the end of this year?"

"That it will," I said, frowning. "But his goal, one of them, was to let people who wanted to live in these games actually live. Here, their lives and fortunes are put to the test. If they die, they die knowing that it was by their own strength that they got so far. If they live, even better for morale overall. It's a test of strength for the upcoming century."

"That I follow. Daddy drilled me on Earth history since we arrived, so I have the last couple hundred years down pat."

"So you know about World War Three, Four and Five?"

"Just the general stuff. In Three, the Soviets-"

"Russians," I said, correcting the outdated term.

"Right. Russia used nuclear weapons on the North American defense agencies and the Chinese, who were pushing on their borders from the south."

"Yeah. It was weird in that everyone was expecting Russia to go for civilian targets. Think they watched too many Cold War spy movies."

"Like double-oh-seven?"

"Something like that, but weirder. Like _They Came to Conquer _was a crystal clear allegory for the former USSR, but with aliens."

"Lemme' think. World War Four was when the United Nations called in the Germans and the Japanese to stop the Third in China, like a war on two fronts. And Five was when the UN collapsed and the Federated Nations was formed."

"You left out most of it, but that's the gist of it."

She frowned slightly. We barely scratched the surface, but that was more or less what led up to the formation of the Federated Nations and the current (current for us) world structure. Frankly, I couldn't care any less about the FN, I just care about my city. I would like to get back though.

"But," she went on, "what does the next hundred years have to do with this game?"

"Oh, but that's exactly it. This isn't really a game," I answered.

"Then what do you propose it is?"

"The next generation proving itself."

She tilted her head. "You'll have to walk me through that one. Maybe I should have looked into my history a little more before this trip."

"Here," I said, offering a hand to gesture what I was explaining. "Think of SAO as a tool for getting people ready for hardship. I mean, the next hundred years is pretty much three-quarters hard. A majority of the three thousand and some who get out of this game go on to be very important people in the coming years."

"Like..."

"Take that guy we met a while back. Job?"

"We met him on Floor Fifty-Five," Skye answered solidly.

"Of the people I studied most closely, fifteen people overall, he made the list. Want to know why?"

"Go on."

I lean in, motioning her to the same. I don't want to be overheard. "When this is over," I whisper huskily, "he designs the next gen NervGear and distributes it. Independently."

We move from out huddle and Skye says "really? I mean, that must take ten years or more."

"Not at all. He had a working prototype when this began. The director at Nerv took the one he was wearing, some off brand; I don't remember the details. But hidden away in his apartment, the beginnings of the NervGear Mark Six."

"You sound like a fan. A little crushed that your hero is a teenager right now?"

I felt my face heat up slightly. "Stop that. I only mean to impart that the Mark Six and all derivatives of that technology are the safest and most reliably interfaces we have. I doubt we'll stop using them, unless we can just move people into the computers."

"We're moving that direction. Nana is the opposite: a computer in a more or less organic body."

I considered this for a moment, let it drop. "My point in this is that Heathcliff may have been getting people ready to take on the future, even if he couldn't be there."

"But you don't know," Skye asked.

"It's based on incomplete data. I'm not a high-option-logic computer, I can't work out ideas like that in my head easily."

"Makes sense. What now?"

"I want to find Fairy and von Meyer. Think I might go front lining today. The dungeon is about done and I want in on the boss."

"You haven't gone up in a while. What changed your mind?"

Honestly? "Our conversation."

She pulled back into the chair.

"You reminded me of why I wanted to come here. And you never know," I went on, "Heathcliff might show up again to mess with the front lines a little."

"He might kill them," Skye said.

"Or he may not. Especially if I'm there to cause trouble."

"You think you alone can turn the tide if he shows up?"

"In a word? Yes."

She punched my arm across the table. "You're so full of yourself."

"That I am."

"Any reason?"

"Well, we did save the world in about a hundred years."

"Still on that?"

"And I got to hit dad in the face. Again," I boasted.

"You really shouldn't talk about your father that way."

"He might be nice to you and the Method, but never to his family. It's always _Rule _this and _Rule _that with the man. Gets on my nerves."

"I thought you didn't have nerves," Skye said dryly.

"It's feelings I don't have. Roland, commander of the Method: fearless, tearless, bloodless demon who traversed time itself on a whim," I leaned over the table, trying to be intimidating. "Just who in the hell do you think I am?"

"A dork," she said, flicking me in the forehead and sending me back into my chair.

"-this keeps up, he might-"

"What was that," I asked, whipping my head around to find the origin of the voice.

"What was what, Roland?"

"A voice. I heard it earlier," I said quietly, trying not to be overheard.

"I didn't hear anything."

"Are you sure? Did you see anything," I asked the follow up without giving her time to respond to the first question.

"I don't see anyone odd. A couple players at other tables, but no one out of the ordinary."

"Fine. I think we should leave. Act normal."

"Got it. Are you going to pay for lunch?"

"Me? I didn't eat anything," I feigned irritation.

"Neither did I," Skye retorted. She was technically right, but the staff wouldn't see it that way. Dining and dashing wouldn't make play hard for either of us. We could afford three days of playing Orange.

"I'll cover it. It's not like we don't have a stockpile anyway."

I tossed down a small bag of Col, probably more than enough to cover the four bowls of food Awaken 46 ate. That should sufficiently attract anyone following us. We are dressed fairly well, but can't counterattack well in a city. So, we lure our followers out with us and kill them if any trouble arises. Simple as that. There are no paradoxes, only world lines.

After a short while we made it out of the city, Skye on my arm, and into the northern area where the floor's dungeon is. No one seemed to be following us. That makes me sure that more than a small guild was after us. Maybe it isn't the money they're after. Maybe items? Or do they think we're Beaters? That could make trouble for us. We're on the same level as the Beaters. This game not having a level cap is a double edged sword. The highest anyone ever got in game was Kirito. He made it to level two hundred fifty-five. The last four was from fighting Heathcliff in single combat at the end of the game and winning. Two-five-five was more of an honorary level than anything, but he was highest by more than ninety. Skye and I are only at one hundred ten each, but more than twenty higher than newbies from the beginning of the game who are front lining now. It would be troublesome if more than twenty rushed us. About on the same level of a boss fight in comparison.

"We shouldn't go into the dungeon," Skye whispered into my ear, still following battle doctrine I set for the Method. It's the Method's Modus Operandi in every operation to work silently, quickly and efficiently. "Let's find the others first."

"I agree. Where do you think they might be?"

"They might have gone back to the house... or maybe the market on Floor Eighty. Why don't you just check your friends list?"

I must have looked awestruck for a moment. I struck, with the palm of my hand, my forehead with such fierceness. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Don't beat yourself up for it. We're usually not apart for any length of time."

"No, really. What the hell is going on in my head? It's like I can't even think of simple ideas anymore."

"I don't understand."

"I'm hearing things, Skye. I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it."

"If you're having trouble, have Vincent examine you. He'll-"

"Anyone but that mad man," I exclaimed. It's not that I don't trust von Meyer, but I trust him with machines, not flesh.

"He's really not all that bad. Remember when he fixed up Charles after the first skirmish with Omega?"

"He took off Charles' arm and replaced it with a shotgun."

"It twisted around."

"He did it without permission."

"Charles loved it."

"Still wrong."

"You're angry 'cause you wanted one," she said smiling.

I responded by shuttering. "Just check the list."

She did so, locating Fairy and von Meyer approaching the cottage. I suppose their shopping trip or whatever it was went well.

"Will you send them a message asking that they come to the dungeon area? I'm in the mood to front line."

"The world doesn't revolve around you, but sure."

I know that. But...

"How's this," she asked, showing me the message.

'Roland's finally in the mood to front line again, meet us there, 3 Skye.'

Embarrassing.

We waited around the entrance to the dungeon for twenty minutes for the rest of our group. When they arrived, Fairy dashed up that way she does.

"Red," she yelled as she ran right up to me. "What's the big idea, making us come all the way out here after the long day we've had?"

I answered, "you've been gone two hours. What long day, Blue?"

"Perhaps then," von Meyer pointed out, "we might complain about the long voyage. We did sprint here after all."

"On virtual legs that hardly tire more than as if you ran fifty meters down a flat road."

"That's not the point," Fairy yelled at me. "You finally want to front line, and you don't call yourself?" She pecked my cheek lightly. "Next time, call. I was afraid this depression of yours was going to last longer."

"First of all, I'm not depressed-"

"Yes you were," von Meyer said calmly, interrupting me as always. "You did little more than sit around the room we rented on Floor Seventy-Six for weeks. The only time you really went anywhere was when we moved to this floor."

Skye spoke up, "I didn't want to say anything, but I was surprised that you came to get me at the restaurant."

"I suppose-"

"Don't suppose, Red," Fairy said gruffly. "Let's just get on the front and see about taking down another boss."

I opened my mouth to debate farther, fount if pointless and followed my comrades into the darkness. It would seem that they've been ready for this a while. During our walk, I confronted each on this. When put to her flatly, Fairy told me that she had noticed my... lacking optimism since just after Floor Seventy-Five. Skye and von Meyer didn't seem to notice until the second or third time I just sat around that old apartment. In month, no one even said a word to me about it. I don't know, for a change, what that means. It is complete trust and respect to let me sort out the problem on my own time; or is it general apathy toward me?

"You haven't looked that way," Fairy went on, "since after we beat back Omega's invasion force. We didn't know to keep our distance back then. This time, we let you bum around because we care."

"Think of it this way, commander," von Meyer said, "we kept you fed and clothed."

"You act as if this isn't just a game," I pointed out.

"You contradict yourself, commander. Besides, unlike many players who eat due to habit, we eat because of how the life-function algorithms will affect us if we don't. It means starving and death for normal players. For us, it means being expelled from the game."

"You say that so callously."

"I only speak the truth. Facts are a refuge from the, otherwise, opinion controlled world."

"If I didn't know better, von Meyer, I'd say you're trying to use philosophy."

"But you do know better, sir."

"That I do," I agree. Can't believe that, out of all people, von Meyer still calls me _commander _and _sir_.

"We're almost there," Skye says, falling back on the old days of reports and protocol. "Fifty meters to destination through uncertain terrain."

"Keep on the lookout for mobs and players. Do not attack without provocation." I was also falling back into the command role. What have I been doing all this time?

"Lizard mob, roughly level seventy at twelve," Skye reports."

I leap forward, bisecting the creature with only my agility skill. I don't use sword skills. They leave too much up to the whims of the computer to pass or fail. I prefer a sure-thing to a wager most days.

"Still insisting you're not our leader," Fairy chimes in frigidly.

"I never said I wasn't leading, I just acted unfit for a while there. It is always a choice to follow me or stab me in the back." I poked a thumb at my back, inviting a thrust that would send me back to reality. None came. I really do trust my team, and they trust me to lead.

Rule fourteen: pretend to be a friend, work as a spy. I despise this above all else. If there is one thing that my useless father and Daniel taught me, it was that rule fourteen is one of the most pathetic forms of living. If I ever pretended, it was defensive and only in use when someone seemed unfriendly. I recall a time when Selene sent a group of mercenaries after me. They wheedled their way into my organization, rose in the ranks, and I slaughtered them the first and last time they made the mistake of assaulting the Method's headquarters from inside the walls. And no, I didn't kill them. I just made it hard for them to leave.

A while later, several mobs killed and players rescued from certain death (slight exaggeration), the four of us came on the final path to the boss level.

"That was fun," Fairy says groaning slightly. She is a little worse for wear, but a potion and some food can fix that.

"Here," says von Meyer as he tosses her a sticky bun and a low level potion.

Fairy munched on the pastry while the potion healed most of her health. Just a little time will bring the rest back, as it will for the rest of us who were damaged only slightly. Granted that 'slightly' is in the ten thousands, it hardly matters with ninety thousand health.

"Are we ready," I asked the group after about fifteen minutes of healing and sitting around.

"I think so-" Skye began to answer as a group of players walked up to us. They were inching along almost as if dying. It reminded me a little of Night of the Living Dead. Actually, it reminded me more of how the vampires in that sixties Vincent Price movie moved. Living, but a little sluggish.

One of them suddenly spoke up shakily. "We... we are... here to kill... you."

Fairy took a step forward, grinning, into my outstretched arm. I pushed her back slightly, trying not to provoke the group around us. Skye and von Meyer looked around, noting that we were surrounded by no less than twelve people in black robes.

"You want to kill us," I said. "You know, I can't let that happen. I would rather we all just walk away from this."

Another member, this one with a high voice and the nasty habit of laughing quickly, spoke up. "You acts like you got a choice, man."  
"We are the Laughing Coffin," said the tallest of the group, a man with white hair streaming out of his hooded cloak and a long sword. "We exist to kill and be killed alike." He took his sword in a hand, raised it above his head and revealed a tattoo on his arm: this little cartoon coffin. They are definitely Laughing Coffin. These guys were only Orange a year ago, but they've since gotten into the killing business. I think their leader died a while back and the new management took it the next step into them being a Red guild.

"I see," I said to them, "I think I see. So, you kill and are killed, that right?"

Fairy whispered into my ear, "Counter thirteen - four."

I didn't react, but that signal means we have thirteen people to beat and that we should use plan four, a four cornered assault that encircles a group. We've planned for this since the beginning. If I remember right, some of the Laughing Coffin members got out of SAO. Depending on what happens, we might lost someone. There are no paradoxes.

Our counterattack can't begin without a shot. The tall man, probably the new leader, said, "We are killers and brothers of killers. Prepare yourself to become a memory."

I won't ever become a memory. At least, not yet.

The thirteen we could spot, likely all of them, wrapped around the cavernous space we walked into. The four of us took up defensive postures in a smaller circle facing our so-called killers. Skye stood with twin daggers; von Meyer with something he made called the Suicide Stick, a sort of baseball bat with nails sticking out of it; Fairy with an ancient-English styled sword and myself with a French style long sword.

"Laughing Coffin," the white-haired leader bellowed, "kill! And if you must, be killed!"

At least he knows the score. You can't kill if you aren't ready to lose your own life.

"Red Method, defend yourselves," I said as the Red guild charged us. Thirteen on four is a little unfair, but nothing we couldn't handle. Skye swatted at three members who clumsily swung in her direction. They didn't have any skill, it seems. Fairy and von Meyer parried attacks while I thrust forward into arms and torsos.

Several minutes of this violent dance resulted in the four of us dropping down to about eighty percent health each and breaking one of Skye's daggers. If we had a moment to check, she would pull another from her inventory. But we're a little busy. Our enemy hasn't seemed to lose much. A couple weapons broken, but their comrades cover them long enough to get more. This could be trouble.

"Commander," von Meyer spoke into by ear while parrying a thrust of a black sword, "I've been checking on their stats through that recursive loop I have set up."

I stabbed another member and took a considerable time to answer, around ten seconds. "Report." Like I know what the loop or whatever does. I know it loops stats on itself, but not how.

"They haven't logged health drops past point zero zero one percent. I think they have a hacker working for them."

I was afraid of that. Three years is a long time for someone not to have figured out how to 'adjust' stats in their favor (or for other favors). That's how we have the stat loop that alerted us in the first place. But then, we have several of the twenty-first and twenty-second century's best programmers working for us. These guys had to work it out from the inside, an impossibility without some game master pushing the first stone down the hill.

"Do you have a plan," I asked, still holding off four impossibly strong players at once.

"Yeah," von Meyer answers, "but there's a catch."

"What?"

"It's the Suicide Stick. If I use a sword skill with it, it does debug damage. Instant death to anything caught in the blast of whatever I use. It also does recoil damage, probable enough to kill the user," he answered, using the weapon in question to hold back an attack, but without a skill.

"So what it comes to-"

von Meyer cut me off, "-is that I let them kill us, or I go out in a blaze of glory that will be felt all the way back home."

"You watch too many movies."

"Not at all, commander. Permission to proceed?"

"Ten meters, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you have my leave. See you in a few months, N. V."

"By your command."

Waving my sword around to clear part of the room, I took Skye under an arm and Fairy with the one holding the sword and started to run, only touching the ground every couple meters.

Skye screamed out at me, "what the fuck, man!"

Great... Awaken is up again. I suppose it's better than making Skye fight, but I wish 46 would let us know these things.

"N. V. is buying us time and delivering a blow to Laughing Coffin."

Fairy, not pleased to be running along by the crook of her outfit but dealing with it, said, "he's going home, isn't he?"

"Yes."

I came to a stop about thirty meters away from the fight and turned in time to think 'I always said he watched too many movies. Today is no exception.'

"You shall not pass," he screamed out to the thirteen members of Laughing Coffin as he activated a skill with the Suicide Stick, impaling his own chest. For a moment, they laughed it off. Then, the whole tunnel exploded in bright light. When it faded, only von Meyer was left standing.

We ran to him. Fairy made it first, but arrived sliding on her knees just as his health bar vanished. "Hey, boss-man..."

I dropped near him and said, "N. V."

"Hit myself... Idiot."

I figured it would happen. All that debug damage in one weapon was a mistake. He disappeared in a flurry of light. Awaken and Fairy made quick work of collecting the remains of Laughing Coffin. I grabbed von Meyer's items, including the Suicide Stick.

Serves you right to play the martyr. You don't get to see the end of the game, Vegas the White... damn it... he has me making those old references now too.

Something that I learned later that I may as well tell now: von Meyer woke up with a slight headache where our allies were watching over us. He let them know what happened and returned home to check the divergence meter. Our killing Laughing Coffin only shifted the meter down in the ninth decimal place. Not even worth a mention in the history we're building. At least the Reading Steiner didn't pick up on it as any more than a buzz in his head around when they would have caused trouble again in the real world. There are no paradoxes, only world lines and Readers.

"What do you want now, dude," Awaken said suddenly while mopping up the loot.

"I want you to go back to sleep," I answered sharply.

"You and me both, boss."

"What?"

"The sheep went to sleep herself. No passphrase, just wake her up."

I suddenly said "'There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'" And waited. Nothing.

"See, I told you but you didn't listen."

"Fairy," I said, turning, "Skye can't wake up. Ideas?"

"Let her sleep for now. It's not like Awaken can do anything to us."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not even here," she said using Skye's voice. I don't like it, but that's what we're working with. Half of this person is our friend, the other half is a sadistic, sarcastic military computer with a chip on her shoulder.

"We'll talk about you however we want," I said, nearly yelling at her. "Finish collecting the items and prepare for-"

"-alking about...waves are fusi-"

"Roland," Fairy said, leaning over my hunched figure.

"Sorry, voices again. I'm starting to be able to make more of it out. Sounded like von Meyer."

"Voices?" Fairy seemed shocked. "Why is this the first I'm hearing of this?"

"Mostly because I only noticed today. Something about discontinuity and waves. I didn't catch much."

"I might have something," Awaken offered.

"And," I urged her to go on. Why not hear what she has to say.

"I think you're hearing the outside."

I thought about that for a moment. "Unlikely. We brought the top models of Mark Six derivatives to this time. They should me perfect."

"So should you," Awaken said. "I think your fan-boy routine for the creator is going to your head. Maybe the tech doesn't mesh well with the old servers."

"If that's the case," I said, "why aren't you experiencing this problem? Why not Fairy?"

"My problem is that I can't go back to sleep. Yours is voices. Fairy," she pointed to our blue-haired comrade. "Anything strange today?"

"Not really... well... I have been moving a little slowly today, but I just thought it was the servers running a little slow."

"New hypothesis," I said, "the future tech doesn't play well with the past and the SAO servers only noticed the problem now. They are trying to get rid of us."

"Possible," Awaken said slowly.

Fairy added, "perhaps it's time?"

"Time to leave? No," I decided. "As long as these problems don't impede us, we should keep going. But," I turned back to Awaken, "I'm thinking about what to do with you."

"What is that supposed to mean," she snapped at me.

"It means it scares me that your password doesn't work and I don't want anything happening to Skye's mind while we stay here past our welcome."

"You pretend I'm an old world personal computer," she shot back. "I'm not. I am a top of the line construct made to protect Skye number one zero eight." She pouted. "You act like this is something other than a defense against outside invasion. Perhaps we are being hacked and pre-program is keeping her asleep. Ever think of that, smarty pants?"

"It's possible," I conceded. "Still scares me."

"Me or the situation?"

"Yes," I answered her with an effective 'both.'

"Get over it. Things will change when they do." She suddenly smiled. "Maybe we can off the boss now?"

Fairy answered, "sounds good to me."

"And me. Come on," I said, leading the way into the boss' room. Not sure if this will go well. A party of three against a high level boss. Maybe if he was a few levels higher, it would be a fair fight.

* * *

AU: Sorry for the month and a half wait. It's the second half of my third year at university and I haven't had to time to dedicate to this that I would want. As always, comment and review please. The more reviews I get, the better the story gets. Also, if the timeline or shift in characters or perspective is throwing anyone off, let me know. It throws me off a little too.


	6. Completing Objectives Online

**Evangelion Versus Angel Online**

**Chapter Six**

"Seeing and believing are two very different things. If you ask an eye-witness anything, their first reaction is to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But you have to take something into account: it might have been dark, or she might have had red hair and not auburn or he may have had a different nose. Whatever the case, not many people only say what they know; they also say what they honestly think they do know. Don't let it trip you."

-Shiro Takeda, Fundamentals of Law Enforcement (3rd Edition), 2019

* * *

"Then take my hand."

"Wha-" I tried to say before Langley took my right hand in hers and pulled a teleport crystal.

"Special teleport: Agency!"

We were enveloped in a white light that didn't look like a normal teleport. The light effect is too... glittery.

When I opened my eyes, we were in a modern office building. A receptionist was standing at a desk in a sterile-white room.

"Welcome back, Red Baron. Welcome, Ranger Job, to the main offices of the International Project Evangelion Agency."

**7_June_2023 - 06:38**

"Asuka," I said, still numb from shock and the rough teleport, "please tell me exactly what I'm looking at." It wasn't exactly a pleading tone, but close enough.

She seemed to ignore me. "Thank you," she answered to the greeting we'd received. That woman called me 'ranger' for some reason. "Where is the sub-director?"

The woman at the desk glanced down, probably at her heads-up-display. "The sub-director is on level three, director's office."

"Good," Asuka responded. "Shinji, let's go. We're going to see the director."

I let her drag me along by the wrist. I just don't know what's happening anymore. We got to a staircase hidden behind a wall before she let go.

"Come on. I won't carry you the entire way."

I slumped over when she let me go. I don't need to be coddled. In fact, I resent it; but I don't know anything right now. All I need is information for right now. "Asuka," I said, trying to look as serious as possible while I pick myself up, "please just tell me what is going on. I don't know where we are or anything you're talking about!"

She took a tall breath in, let it out and took another in saying, "this is my guild's headquarters. Your presence was requested by the commanding officer here, but we couldn't find you. You dropped off the radar for months," she finished. That last part almost seemed a complement. "That enough for now?"

Not really. "Sure." Lazy, lying little-shit of a marksman. And why don't I ask for more information? I really should have learned not to trust so easily in this screwed-up game. I guess I'll never get it.

"Then come on."

"All right," I said, following. At the top of the stairs, they only seemed to go up a floor or so, I asked, "who is the commander here?"

"Sub-director," she corrected me. "You'll meet him in a minute."

"Fine." No use trying to get information now. I'll probably get what I want anyway if I wait. With my luck, it'll be a twenty-something-year-old in a demon get-up playing soldier.

At the end of a hallway only detailed with black lines to separate the white walls from the white ceiling and floor, Asuka and I entered a dark office. First thing I noticed was some strange writing on the floor, and designs. It isn't Japanese or English. At a guess, it's older than either.

"Hello, Shinji," a voice came from across the room.

"Who-"

"I've been waiting to see you for quite a while now. It's rude to keep an old man waiting. Might expire at any moment," he finished dryly.

Perhaps. The darkness was replaced with a dull glow of red light. "Professor," I asked, puzzled.

"Yes, my boy. It's been too long. How have you been these last months?"

Is that supposed to be a joke? I've been fighting monsters from the depths of hell, had to kill more people than I care to admit and have had a generally piss-poor time. And now, a second speck of light reveals itself in an otherwise unwinnable situation? "Prof," I said, falling back on a nickname I used for the man since I was a child, "care to tell me what in the fuck is going on here?"

"Language, my boy. All in good time," he answered in that suave, but aging, voice.

"Sub-director, the item," Asuka said suddenly, reminding Prof of something.

"Ah, all too true," Prof followed along with her. I couldn't. He continued, "Shinji, you should have something interesting in your inventory."

"Like..." I have lots of interesting things I'm carrying. Not a one of them tells me anything about my current situation.

"It should be small, crystalline and-"

I materialized something I'd been holding on to for a while. "This," I asked, holding the small, lapis-blue and obsidian-black crystal.

"Yes." Prof remained in his chair, but I could tell he was captivated by it. I've seen that look on his face before; that my-boy-you've-done-it-now face that tells me that I've done something right for a change. "Do you know the purpose of this item?" He turned from doting mentor, instantly, to professor of evolutionary biology of Kyoto University. Reminds me of my university days... really, those twenty-year-olds were too much for me to handle. Well... the truth is that I was only sitting in on Prof's lectures and he humored me more than once, by calling on me, an eleven-year-old at the time, when I proved to absorb the texts better than the actual students.

I quoted what that Irate person told me about as well as I could remember. "It connects you to Earth. You get a day's worth of time out of the game, but you can't take off the NervGear or break the connection."

"Exactly. It's something that Yu- Dr. Ikari and I managed to force on the game's programming at the last moment. Control was only wrested from us after a long hack and the hacker blowing out one of the Magi supercomputers back at the labs."

I was taken aback. What do you mean you and dad planned for this? "You and dad knew about this? And you didn't stop the launch?" I was outraged. What is going on!?

"Shinji, my boy," Prof started, "by the time we could act, it was already too late to stop what was in motion."

"Then what happened," I asked quietly.

"The head designer of the world planted a surprise in the game code of the floating castle. By the time we knew what he'd done, all we could do was plant a few surprises of our own," he waved his arm across the room pointing out the office space that probably didn't exist in the beta, let alone in the moments before the end of the tutorial, "and get some Nerv personal in here to run things."

I said all I could think of. It wasn't polite. "Well you're all doing a shitty job so far!"

Prof and Asuka were visibly upset at my sudden outburst, but what else could I do. I can't believe Nerv, the industry head in computer science and VR, could let something like this happen. They knew. They knew something could happen and hardly did a thing.

Prof just said, "We are doing all we can. Thus far, we've had little opportunity to gather intelligence. You hold the key to fixing the largest issue this group faces." He motioned to the Link to Tellus Prime item that I held in my off hand.

"Then," I started in again after breathing, "what do you want me to do?"

"We don't actually want you to do anything," Asuka said from behind me. She'd been standing near the door as if expecting to have to leave.

"What's that supposed to mean," I demanded.

"It means," Prof said, "the mission to which you are key is my responsibility to undertake."

I stared down at the crystal in my left hand, wondering. "What does that mean for me?"

"What do you mean, my boy?"

"I'm invested in this game, to whatever end it leads me to. Right now, that means fighting to the top floor and ending this game. Or even dying to help someone stronger reach that goal." Am I really so into this game that I'd give up the chance to go home early; even die? "I want this to be on my terms."

"Are you talking about game-money? If that's the case, we stockpile money and goods for missions here-"

"No," I interrupted. "I'm not talking about money in here. What I want isn't so ephemeral." I was pulling out my best test-words. I wanted to come across as serious, especially after that outburst.

"In that case, simply state it."

"Prof, I want two things for this," I held up the item. "I want a lab at Nerv."

"What," Asuka said, responding to the request. "What could you do with-"

Prof cut her off. "For what reason?"

"Before SAO, I was working on some home-made NervGear-"

"Don't tell me you used that to come in," Prof said wearily.

"No. I used an off-the-shelf model," I said, not quite lying. What I'm wearing now is a model I've never heard of, but I think it's more or less safe. "But I was building this new model and I think I found a way to make it work without the massive transceiver on the current models."

"Even some of the best scientists in the world can't work that problem out. You think you can," Prof asked.

"Yeah," I answered immediately. It startled him slightly.

"Done," he said, seeming to give me what I want. "And," he said, asking what else I wanted.

"All the data you have about what happened at Nerv in twenty-ten."

There. I said it. I finally asked for information. I've never been in a position to demand the files before. The most I've gotten is the bits released in newspapers and online. All I know is that it happened and Nerv and father couldn't cover it up because of all the VIPs in the lab that day.

"Done," Prof suddenly said after a moment of tense silence. "In exchange for your cooperation with this organization, you will receive, on release from Sword Art Online, all files that I can access pertaining to what happened at Nerv in twenty-ten. I assume you want the files, in particular, on what happened to Dr. Yui Ikari?"

I nodded affirmation. I don't care about anything else at Nerv. "That's all. Nothing more."

"Indeed," Prof said darkly. "I can promise no more on that end. I was in charge of the investigation-"

"Cover-up," Asuka chimed in from near the closed door. "Let us not mince words, director."

"Yes, colonel, but I didn't think he needed to know that," Prof said sheepishly.

"And I think he did," Asuka shot back. "If all he wants is information, I say don't skip out on the important bits." She turned to me. "It was a massive cover-up. With all the VIPs at Nerv, it nearly sent the whole lab into bankruptcy. But the higher-ups stepped in and kept the company afloat, if only to keep the public face from taking too much damage."

I turned to Prof. "And you didn't see to inform me of this?"  
"You would have received the information with everything else I would have given you when this is all over."

"That leads me to another point," I said. "If you die, what's to keep Nerv from cutting me out of the loop?"

"That is the next part of the plan."

"That means?"

"I am planning on using the Link to get back to Nerv, gather intelligence and return with some form of help."

What? "You're planning to bring more people in?"

"Impossible. The game is closed to entry, but I think that I can gather information that might help. Maybe get the back-door codes or locations of Game Master terminals. In the worst case, I can get a handle of whether or not we are alone in this."

"And if we are actually alone," Asuka asked.

"Then damned we may very well be."

I said, "So what? We're going to die anyway, why not give it out all!"

"Sounds nothing-at-all like a certain pupil I once yelled at for giving up on Super Solenoid theory," Prof chided.

"I eventually learned it," I defended.

"What is the second law of use of the theoretical S-Two engine?

"Something that I still don't agree with."

"The law?"

"The Super Solenoid engine can destroy unlimited energy." I waited a moment. "Bunch of bull."

"And yet, the main branch of Nerv is working on the assumption that we can produce this engine one day. Doctors Katsuragi and Suragi both have differing opinions on generation, but it comes to the same thing."

"I don't want to have this discussion now. I still hold that the physical world holds true even in the face of the S-Two theory."

"Perhaps another day, my boy."

"Maybe," I surrender.

"Now, back to business. May I have the Link to Tellus Prime?"

"We are in agreement, Prof?"

"Of course, my boy. If you need more reassurance, I will leave instructions with your father-"

"Don't worry about that," I quickly say, "Father doesn't need to know what I'm looking for, Prof. I'd feel better if you left instructions with Dr. Akagi."

"I see," Prof says.

I think I've said too much. No matter, I hand him the Link.

"Thank you," he says.

"Director," Asuka says, "what are we to do in the mean-time?"

"If my avatar remains, watch over it. If not, simply stay at attention and lock down this room. I will be back in one day."

Prof takes the Link over to his desk and sits down.

"Hey, Prof," I say.

"Yes, my boy?"

"Lemme know how the old man's holding up."

"Of course."

He activated the Link and vanished.

"Well," Asuka says, "that proves one thing."

"What?"

"We have a day to kill in a locked room. You wanna-"

* * *

**It's a little shorter than I wanted, but here it is. The next part will either be covering the Link to Tellus Prime or whatever Asuka and Shinji are doing in the mean-time... or both. **


	7. Tellus Prime Offline

**Evangelion Versus Angel Online**

**Chapter Seven**

"Remember: no matter how many times you repeat the same sequence of events, the attractor field will keep pulling you to the same ultimate conclusion. You have to either be willing to put up with knowing you weren't able to find out how to beat them, or change nothing in the cause, but only the effect. If you can't even manage that, I don't know why I even bothered to help you back home all those years and hours ago. Now, what are the words?"

-Doctor Rintaro Okabe, Professor of Physics and Engineering, Tokyo University, unknown date

* * *

**7_June_2023 - 07:13**

He can hear bleeping. One even beep after another; each separated by a little less than a second. A heart-rate monitor, he reasons. This must be the kind of treatment that he is receiving while in game. Well, might as well get a doctor in here. One fast way to manage that.

Professor Kozou Fuyutsuki took a lead from his arm, one connected to the bleeping machine, and tugged it and a second one off, leading to a long, flat tone to play out over the speakers in the large room. He could hear rapid footfalls out in the hall.

"Right on time," he said dryly.

The door flew open to reveal a young man, around twenty in age, wearing a white outfit and an armband reading 'nurse' in Japanese, English and German.

"So, this is the Nerv joint hospital," Fuyutsuki says, thinking that to be the only reason for a tri-lingual identification. "The commander certainly didn't spare any expense."

"Professor-"

"Calm down, my boy," the aged man said.

"But... I don't even... what?"

"All in good time. Now," getting right to business, "where is commander Gendo Ikari?"

"The co-co-commander," the young man stutters, "is off base. Something about an acquisition, s-sir."

"More like a hostile takeover," Fuyutsuki mutters. Raising his voice, "is there a way to reach him I should know about? Has the protocol changed in the last year?"

"I-"

An older woman bursts into the room, "Professor!"

The professor wastes no time. "Doctor Akagi, how long has it been, my friend," he says simply, ignoring the still stuttering nurse.

She stops in her tracks. "You've been gone nearly a year and that's all you have," she says incredulously.

"It is quite the subject of interest. Though, I would have thought it harder to speak after not using this shell for most of a year," he mused.

"Medical science… and you have me in charge of this institution."

"Naoko, you have not changed a bit. How is that darling daughter of yours?"

"Ritsuko? You stay away from her you old goat," Naoko Akagi says with a smile, waving it off. She pauses uncomfortably for hardly a moment. "She's working on her sixth doctorate right now."

"That is good to hear. Catching up to you, it seems. Oh, speaking of catching up," he gestures with his hands, "this young man does not seem to know where the commander is. Can you help me."

Akagi turns to the nurse on duty, "nurse."

He straightens up at the older doctor's call to attention. "Yes, ma'am!"

She smiles wryly. "Go to the nurse's station, get security card Alpha-Six, follow the instructions on the card and return here."

He leaves without a word, seemingly terrified of the director of the hospital. Perhaps even more so than the commander or sub-commander.

"A veritable mountain of red tape, doctor?"

"A way to let more of my interns and juniors keep their jobs. One too many false alarms get forwarded to the commander, so we put an end to it by making the phone difficult to get to without a real emergency on the floor."

"The floor," Fuyutsuki asks.

"We keep the top security patients from Sword Art Online here. Yourself included."

"How many?"

Doctor Akagi pursed her lips together, as though she didn't already know the number right off the top of her head.

"Ninety as of last month."

"That means people here have died, does it not?"

"Yes. Three. The last one was only three weeks ago; last month. No volunteers from Project E yet, thank god."

"I'm keeping them from taking on dangerous missions until we have a plan. Have you and the commander come up with a viable path for us to follow down?"

"Yes. But you're probably going to poke holes in it, Professor."

"Well?"

"I will wait for the commander. No sense in repeating myself."

"Doctor, I should tell you that I only have one day before I must return to my duties within Aincrad."

"All the more reason not to waste time. Now," Akagi groans, "where is that nurse."

The nurse, as the grand timing the universe has grants, is walking back down the hall towards the aged professor's room.

"Doctor, the red phone," he says, offering doctor Akagi a red mobile phone with three buttons on it.

"Professor," she says, "would you like to make the call?"

"I would." He turns to the nurse, "you there, nurse…"

"Amarillo Verde, sir."

"Nurse Verde, would you please leave me to make this call? The matter is between the commander, the doctor and myself."

The nurse nodded agreement and ducked out of the room with a call of, "I'll be at the station, Professor," as he vanished down the hall.

With those without proper clearance out of earshot, Fuyutsuki presses one of the three buttons on the phone. It buzzes out a tinny ring for several seconds.

"What," a near standard Ikari greeting comes over the phone.

"Rokubungi," Fuyutsuki says into the transceiver.

Over the phone, Akagi can hear the commander giving orders, presumably to the staff of his aircraft. Fuyutusuki ignores it

The commander speaks into the phone after several moments, "professor, it is good to hear your voice. Can I assume that the highest level has yet to be cleared?"

He is, of course, speaking of the game.

"No," the professor agreed. "I am here using one of the items we forced on the programming." He paused for a moment to let the information sink in. "Your son was its owner up until only minutes ago."

"I see," the commander says almost instantly.

"Can I expect you sometime today, my boy?"

"Have Akagi and Katsuragi prepare the boardroom on level E."

"Of course, commander. Noon," Fuyutsuki asked only after accepting blithely.

"Two hours sooner," he said. Turning to the staff on the aircraft again, "I believe we can make excellent time."

The phone bleeped at disconnection and Fuyutsuki turned to doctor Akagi. "Can I leave this bed?"

"Yes. Let me prepare a portable computer and a pack.

In minutes only, professor Fuyutsuki was outfitted with a shoulder pack holding a portable computer and power supply to keep him connected to Sword Art Online. He was mobile.

"Doctor," he asked, "are you going to tell my how you kept my muscles from atrophying?"

"No," she answered.

"Perhaps another time."

"Perhaps," she agreed while promising nothing.

"What time," he said in astonishment, "do you believe the commander will return?"

"Less than three hours. He said ten, correct?"

"Indeed."

"Best get to work. Have you met Katsuragi?"

"Shiro Katsuragi? We've met, but not in many years. The last time was on an expedition-"

"No, no. His daughter, Misato Katsuragi. She is working with operations now, commanding."

"Misato? Shiro's daughter?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know the man could reproduce. I thought he would just up and clone himself one of these days," the professor says more-or-less jokingly.

"You're not far off. The world is a strange place. I suppose someone saw something in the loon."

"You and I both know his theory is mostly correct, even if no one outside this lab knows it."

"I still hold that the man is a little strange… I just don't like him; regardless of his advances in S-Two theory."

"Understandable. You are honest. Keep your honesty. But under your hair."

"Of course, professor," doctor Akagi says. "Let's get to the laboratory."

**7_June_2023 - 07:10**

We watched as Prof vanished into thin air. It was… disquieting to say the least. Asuka doesn't seem to see it as such, but then, she expected it. I was half expecting the thing not to work and half expecting him just to drop dead right there. I hope he made it.

"Well," Asuka says, "that proves one thing."

"What?"

"We have a day to kill in a locked room," she said, inching towards me. "You wanna' do something?"

She was almost on top of me, or at least as close as one can get and still be standing. "S-such as," I managed to get out without sounding too strange.

"You can't be this boring," she said, backing away. Her face told me part of why. I know, I think I know, what you want to do. But…

"Asuka… It's been a while since I've seen you-"

"Two years," she says quickly.

"What? No! Hardly a few months-"

"Before the game… it had been two years. And I said some things… and did some things that I'm not proud of."

"Nothing too bad," I offered. Though… it was. Everyone around me wanted me to hold a grudge, but... How could I?

"And I hit doctor Vance on the way out last time…"

"He was fine. So was I for that matter."

"I heard you had three broken ribs and a concussion," she said, slumping down in Prof's chair. "Mother told me about it one night about a year after I left." She wants to dredge this up? Now? I guess if we want to air this out, best when we don't actually have the choice to kill each other.

"They were only bruised," a lie, "and it wasn't bad, a night in bed with an ice pack." More like a week of sleeping in a hospital with daily check-ups for major damage from the _four_ broken ribs, skull fracture and one shattered heart (the last being only in my mind, not actually a physical injury). And two months of one doctor after another asking me how I felt about the whole thing. "I never…" blamed you. I promise I never did. I just couldn't say that then. Or now.

"I went home after that."

"Home?"

"Pieter- Father called me back home. Not that I wanted to go. He'd remarried by then and I wasn't happy with him or mother or that woman he called 'wife'."

"So… what happened?"

"What? After I left? I spend a year at home feeling sorry for myself and reading mother's textbooks and journals. I spent the next year getting a degree and learning virtual games. What else? I was _burying_ my time in Kyoto…"

Your time with me?

"I don't want to leave anything unsaid," I told her. I don't want to tell her the truth of what I've been doing since we were fourteen, but I might have to.

"I haven't seen anyone since then," she said, bringing me out of my haze.

"Really?"

"Don't take that tone!"

"I didn't mean it like that," I defended. "I just… I didn't think you cared. And you're..." Absolutely stunning. The most beautiful thing I think I've ever seen. God damn it! Words, Ikari. Use your words.

"Didn't think I… I…" she buried her face in her arms on the desk. "I never stopped caring," she mumbled into her hands. "I just…"

I walked across the room, she looked up, and I took my life in my own hands.

**7_June_2023 - 09:58**

Inside the main boardroom on level E of the main Nerv facility, doctor Naoko Akagi, colonel Misato Katsuragi, doctor Rintaro Okabe and professor Kozou Fuyutsuki all sat. The professor isn't familiar with Okabe or Katsuragi, but knows them by reputation and some information given to him by doctor Akagi.

Doctor Okabe is known for his private ventures in space flight and in his laboratory's keen eye for future technologies and the free market. Colonel Katsuragi began at Nerv as a Section Two agent three years ago and recently made colonel as Director of Operations.

At ten on the tick, commander Gendo Ikari walked in.

"Right on time," Fuyutsuki comments.

All stand, save the professor, as it is considerably more difficult in his weakened condition even with doctor Akagi's alluded-to advances in _medical science_.

"Thank you for being here, commander," Katsuragi says.

"Of course. The sub-commander has returned to us," Ikari says, giving all the justification he is willing to on his sudden return to Japan.

"Commander," Fuyutsuki says, "I've been getting caught up on events here, but I don't know everything. I request a sharing of information to the benefit of the victims of this crisis on my return."

"Yes, professor." Ikari turned to Akagi, "the numbers, doctor."

"Right away, commander," Akagi said, quickly bringing several screens on with details on the SAO incident.

Katsuragi stood, walked to the end of the room and began. "As you have been working on this from inside, I will refrain from repeating anything you might know, professor."

"Thank you, colonel. Continue."

"Since the crisis began, approximately two thousand and seventy players have lost their lives due to unknown circumstances. approximately two hundred of these cases were due to outside interference such as family members or friends trying to _save _them or natural death due to lack of food or water. People simply didn't find them in time."

Doctor Akagi shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"We take it for granted that these players who have died under circumstances impossible to tell are being killed by creatures within the game and other players. Is this outside your experience?"

"Slightly," the professor says. "Yes, many of those players are killed by monsters. And yes, other players kill. But there are exceptions to these common occurrences."

Doctor Okabe cleared his throat.

Fuyutsuki asked, "doctor Okabe?"

"Might I assume, Professor," he said, "that there are attempts by peace-keeping groups within the towns of Aincrad who hold court and," he pauses, for effect more than anything else, "executions?"

"Very astute, doctor. Many deaths are the larger guilds, mine included, executing members of the population."

"Professor," doctor Akagi exclaimed. "Executions?!"

"Yes, doctor. Generally of criminals or dangerous elements. The IPEA has held thirty-seven of these executions for members of Red guilds we've managed to gather up. Remember, our mission right now is damage control."

Colonel Katsuragi asked, "Red guilds?"

Fuyutsuki explained, "Green players are those who follow the rules of Aincrad, including not killing or stealing from players. Orange players are small offenders of these rules; they might have stolen or killed once or twice; and only recently. There is a grace period of between one and thirty days depending on severity of the crime. But Red players and guilds are people who kill or steal regularly. Usually kill. We caught six members of the largest Red guild, the Laughing Coffin, and executed them publicly on the front lines."

"Professor," Okabe began, "while I share in my colleagues shock that your organization holds executions within this world, I find your justification acceptable and would ask that the… IPEA, you called it, continues operations."

"Are there any more questions, or may I let the colonel continue?"

No one said a word. Doctor Akagi was still shocked, but willing to accept the professor's methods.

Colonel Katsuragi kept on. "Aside that, not a single person connected to the game has made it out alive, besides yourself, professor."

"That we know of," Okabe said, pointing out the lack of any real control over information. "For all we know, another player might have been released though this Link method, or other unknowns. Let us assume that this is the only case, but take note that we are fallible. We are human."

"Thank you doctor," Akagi said. "But the fact of the matter is that we would know. All NervGear signals route through Nerv headquarters-"

"All official NervGear. I would put forward that talented hackers could, and would given the skill and desire to play, access the game before the lockdown."

Commander Ikari, if only for a moment, twitched.

**7_June_2023 - 07:14**

This might have killed me.

Actually… now that I have this infinite moment of a second to think about it, what I've done has certainly killed me. No doubt about it. She is going to run her sword through my chest and that will be that. I'll die. If I'm lucky, she'll take me out and kill me. Safe-Zone duels are brutal events for the blood-thirsty killers in this world. Reminds me of when I saw the Flash fighting within a city. Nasty. But then... do I have time to digress? My second is about a quarter over.

The second goes on a little longer than I thought it would.

I can't say that I have any experience or confidence in my ability to kiss, but it must be, at the very least, decent if she hasn't ended my life yet.

Another second, the third, and her arms are slowing moving up. I think her brain has caught up with her and now I might die. Well, it was a good life.

Then again, I decide when she puts her arms around the back of my neck, maybe I'm too pessimistic.

**7_June_2023 - 13:24**

In the hours since the meeting of minds at Nerv was called, three new things have been established. First, Project Evangelion is moving along at a great pace. Second, Fuyutsuki needs to make a trip to America before his time is up. Third, Nerv has identified their real enemy.

"What does that mean, Ikari," Fuyutsuki asks a final time, trying to get a straight answer out of the commander and president of Nerv.

"Professor, I really do not have the time. Akagi, introduce him to the American and get him equipped."

"Ikari-"

Akagi tugged on Fuyutsuki's shirt. "Don't."

At that simple insistence, he understood. Ikari has preparations to make and a meeting with people with real information would make for a better use of his limited time.

**7_June_2023 - 14:10**

Nerv really has the best toys. A holographic boardroom wherein one can converse in real-time with anyone in the world as if in a flesh meeting. It's almost a trip to America. But then again, the professor has been to that country. It isn't quite the same after the west coast fell into the sea.

At the opposite end of the boardroom table, a tall, lanky man in an outfit more befitting a professor from the American early twentieth century appeared. His dark hair only marred by a handful of white ones.

"Professor Fuyutsuki, it is well that we can meet face to face in these dire times," the men said in shaky Japanese, nearly butchering the name, over a slightly tinny speaker.

"Indeed, doctor Petrikov," he answers. "Would this be better," the Professor says in clear, if slightly accented, English in an attempt to make his guest comfortable.

"It would, Professor," he responds in English. "Apologies for not being able to converse in your language, I only began learning it this morning. I usually have a translator in working with Nerv, but on such short notice, and for such a... sensitive topic... you understand my haste in picking up at least a working knowledge of the language."

"It is nonetheless impressive that you were willing to make the attempt. Not to mention how well you have the grammar and syntax down. I thank you, sir. Now, I understand you are the expert on the current branch of Angelic invaders on our planet."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, but I would say that I have a compelling theory and evidence to back it, Professor."

"Then, if you will," Fuyutsuki said.

"Of course. I take it you know the background; from the Katsuragi Expedition to the year twenty-twenty-one?"

"I do. That is the extent, however, of what I know."

"Then I'll start from the beginning of this gaming incident. First and foremost, the controller is not Kayaba Akihiko."

"Then what was the announcement made when this all began? Someone using the name?"

"Not some _one_, professor. Some _thing_."

"Explain."

"Akihiko has been dead for almost a year now. We found his burned corpse and the body of his assistant out in the Japanese countryside. He was wearing NervGear. Looks like he died mid-dive. Her skin was flayed from her bones. Myself and my team were first on the scene. It wasn't pretty." He paused. "Do you know the legends of the Lich King?"

"I know the name. No more. A book in my college days... decades ago."

"During the last long age of Earth, before humans became the dominate life-form, it's said that a different group of sentient beings lived on this planet. Only a dozen scientists in the world subscribe to this theory; even less add to it. I fall into the latter category."

"Does this have anything to do with the theory behind the spontaneous emergence of agriculture on Earth roughly fifteen thousand years ago?"

"Perhaps. The last age was about _one hundred_ and fifteen thousand years ago, so it may hold a great deal of bearing. Or could hold none in a random, godless world."

He opened a holographic representation of the Earth, circa one hundred and fifteen thousand years ago. The planet looked significantly different.

"Doctor," Fuyutsuki says, "what am I looking at?"

"Earth during the last great age."

"Are you trying to tell me that our planet looked like this only one hundred thousand years ago?"

Fuyutsuki was referring to a massive crater in the northern hemisphere where Russia and Europe are today.

"You would need something the size of Mars, or perhaps only slightly smaller, to fill that crater."

"I assure you, sir, this is going somewhere."

"Please, continue."

"For the sake of argument, my theory places the level of technology on this planet at the end of the last age at a point higher than the current level."

He changes the view to a landmass at the coordinates where the Atlantic Ocean is today. But it is a landmass that seems to be North America and parts of Europe connected near the equator.

"There was an event, perhaps natural or made by an intelligent power. This event can be calculated-"

"How?"

"Differences in dirt. The mountains on the East coast of America? A totally different make-up of rock and Earth. It looks more like the chemical and metal structure found in the asteroid belt."

"How is that possible?"

"I have no idea. Again, many assumptions are based solely on the fact that those mountains are not made of rock found on this planet, but rather a failed planet circling this system between its fourth and fifth planets. The aforementioned event can be calculated to have caused a crater the size of all Asia and almost as deep as the outer core of the planet. In other words, more concentrated joules of energy than it would take to destroy a planet only smaller by twenty percent. I theorize the event was of a nuclear nature. More powerful than even the most destructive naquadah-enhanced warhead today."

"Doctor, this sounds very similar to Super Solenoid theory. Directed energy weapons with nuclear-like power. Unlimited creation and destruction of energy. Is this making sense?"

"It is. But, the life form..." The display shifted to the mountains the doctor spoke of. "A life form hiding on this planet, calling itself the Lich-"

"This life form is sentient? And not human?"

"Yes. The life form calling itself the Lich King has gathered the remnants of the creatures that the first progenitor created. We call them the Civilization Blasters. _It_ is calling them Angels."

"Angels? I know of the progenitors; god have mercy, we're holding two of them hostage. What does this Lich King have to do with them?"

"He is rebuilding their bodies from their destroyed souls and amassing an army."

"What can be done?"

"Nothing on your end."

"What," Fuyutsuki demanded.

"I apologize, professor. In my years… well… All that I can ask you to do is get the Children out of that game safely. The whole thing's a set-up." The doctor turned grim. "The Lich resurrected the Angel of Terror to overrun the game, but Akihiko stopped it. I don't know more than that."

"Will clearing the game still release the players?"

"Professor, I honestly do not know."

**7_June_2023 - 07:39**

I am too pessimistic. Well… maybe not so much. It wasn't that she stabbed me, but more like a slight beating to drive the point home… to get it through my thick skull that we weren't over. Not that I wanted it to be, but it just came to a head two years ago and neither of us could handle it.

At that point I was lying on the ground in front of the single piece of furniture in the room, the desk, and Asuka was in the chair in front of it.

"So," I managed to breath out, "is that what you really think?"

"You're spineless, weak, pathetic…" she paused for what felt like hours (or is that the pain talking?) "… and perhaps the most driven man I've even known."

"Where did that come from?"

"You told me the truth. For all we know, it's all right to kill you because you might not be wearing the death-trap everyone else is."

"Or it could be a re-packaged death-trap. Personally, I'd rather find out the hard way than test it out."

"There is always a way to find out."

"What do you have in mind," I said, picking myself up off the floor.

"If we're lucky, the director will tear you a new one about it when he gets back. If not, you could always find another Link."

"There are only ten -nine- in the whole castle," I protest.

"And? There is only one crossbowman character in the whole castle as well." She points at me, making me turn slightly under scrutiny.

"That's not my fault."

"It totally is. You, of all the players choosing classes, chose ranger over swordsman. I mean… the game was marketed as a game for wannabe swordsmen and history nuts."

"I don't think that last one is true."

To that all I got was Asuka sticking her tongue out at me… rather than in my mouth… again.

**7_June_2023 - 19:28**

A full twelve hours of interviews and meetings is… draining on even the most seasoned veteran of the war against red tape and protocol. Kozou Fuyutsuki is tired, but still endlessly willing to entertain his colleagues in discussion on the SAO crisis. His meeting with that American, Dr Petrikov, went about as well as expected.

"We need them," Petrikov said. "The whole war effort depends on those Children being able to harness the Evangelion technology and fight for us. They are the only ones who can."

It was disturbing, terrible… evil… to Fuyutsuki's ears. Using a game, granted one that was overrun, to train a generation of soldiers for the worst war since the middle of the twentieth century.

And now it has a sorting device: death, for failure. Survival for the luck to either become strong enough or hide well enough.

The whole thing is wrong.

Fuyutsuki, tired of this yammering, requests the next, and hopefully last, meeting to be over dinner. He chooses a particularly nice European style restaurant in Kyoto as the location; one he remembers from his time teaching at the University.

"Back when I was still teaching," the professor laments, "I came here once in a while to discuss a student's work in a less… intimidating environment. My office was in a basement and coated in books and papers. I think it occasionally made the graduate students cry."

Across the table, a young American man, a doctor Freeman, nods saying, "reminds me of when I settled down to teach at MIT. There is a similar atmosphere at several places around the school."

"But then, more than one student thought the worst of me…"

"Understandable. While I find it slightly flattering that anyone would still find me attractive," Freeman regally waves a hand under his face, one not nearly as aged as Fuyutsuki, but certainly near his forties, "it is still disconcerting to have a twenty-three year old trying to... get better grades _that_ way."

"I recall the last student who thought anything of that nature for me. Nice couple; we work together now."

Freeman recoiled.

"Too much information for you, doctor?"

"A bit, professor."

"I have not spoken about my time at Kyoto for a while. You will have to excuse me for recalling a pleasant memory. The only other person whose ear I have is that couple's son. It would be as disturbing, if not more so, for him."

"I agree. But then…"

"Right," Fuyutsuki says, closing his menu. "Down to business. Tell me, what do you know of doctor Eli Vance?"

"We worked together at Nerv in Nevada. That's how it got the name change. We joked in a meeting once that we should call it Black Mesa. It's the location, you see. The mesa it's located in is almost constantly in shadow from how the facility is constructed."

"It would seem he and you share an interesting sense of humor."

"Yes. I haven't seen him in a while. Last I heard, he was working on the Sword Art Online project before it went up in smoke."

Fuyutsuki suddenly said, "Doctor Vance is a member of my guild in Sword Art Online-"

"What," doctor Freeman demanded, nearly leaping out of his chair. He pulled the chair back in, avoiding gathering attention. "Why is Eli in that death-trap you people at headquarters call a video game?"

"When we asked for volunteers for a dangerous mission, he was first to raise his hand."

Doctor Freeman calmed down at that. "Sounds just like Eli. What guild?"

"International Project Evangelion Agency. We set up with about three dozen personal from Nerv, all volunteers, with the intent on keeping the damage to a minimum. So far, the only deaths we've been unable to control are suicides and the all-too-often NPC-kill."

"Sounds like you guys have it rough," Freeman said.

"It is nothing that we can not contain. We are expecting a thirty percent loss of life. Reasonably if the game is cleared within three years."

"It scares me that you have a plan for how many people die."

"We plan for everything, doctor. The first thousand were outside expectation, but trends of suicide and player-killing are tapering out with every passing day. We expect a day, at least a year before the final release, when not a single death in as much as a week reaches my desk."

"Might be because no one wants to report it," Freeman remarks darkly.

"Perhaps, but unlikely," Fuyutsuki says quickly. "I do want to hear your ideas for expediting the end of this terror."

"Well, ever since this started, some of the guys back in Nevada were talking about..."

**7_June_2023 - 12:57**

"Is that enough," I asked, panting for breath on the ground.

Asuka rolled over from her face-plant on the other side of the room. "Just about. Now, what was that about my mother?"

"Step-mother," I corrected, "and she is the worst kind of raging bitch I've ever had to spend time in a room with."

She really is. Father hosted Asuka's parents at a dinner in twenty twenty-one, at which my attendance was mandatory regardless of the discomfort I felt having to deal with my ex's parents. It ended with her father, Pieter, being dragged out by a screaming woman -now that I think about it, I don't know her name- and father asking me if I was really the man in my last relationship. Father left, for his trouble, with an imprint of my fist on his stomach. That was one of the first times I really spoke seriously with Prof outside the classroom, so it wasn't a total waste.

"Tell me about it," Asuka agrees. "Mother never got along with her for obvious reasons, but she was always so bitter that dad kept me in the manor. Guess it was too much that I was my mother's daughter."

"Reminds me of something your real mother said to me once," I said.

"What about my mother could you associate with my wonderful smother," she asks, making a universally rude gesture towards her own mention of her step-mother.

"It was about a year after we broke up. She asked me what happened one night while she and her friends on staff at Nerv were drinking."

"Mother drinks?"

"It seems that she is old drinking friends with my father and Prof. A story I wish I could forget."

"Makes sense. That's how we met."

"Yeah. When was that," I say, thinking to myself.

"About twenty-fourteen?"

"Sounds right. Your mother was visiting Japan, right?'

Asuka laughs a bit and comes over. She plops down next to me and says, "For the first time. We got lost on the train from the sea to Kyoto. Ended up on the wrong one and in Hakone."

"That far off?"

"You wouldn't believe how angry she was," Asuka laughs. "She has told me to only speak Japanese while in the country, but she broke her own rules and let out this tirade of swears and curses on the train when she found out we were more than four hours away."

"Damn. I hardly remember back then, but the two of you coming off that train was priceless." When have I ever had this much fun talking about the past.

"I know. Mother was livid, and I was just happy to be off that terrible thing. It shook the whole way!"

"And then dinner that night? All your mother said was how bad the trip was. I mean, it couldn't have been that bad."

"The sights were nice," Asuka says with a reminiscent look, "but it was just so long."

"I suppose," I say, agreeing half-heartedly.

"So," Asuka starts slowly. "Enough about mother and your father." She pauses for a long moment, breathing in and out. "Where do we stand?"

I was waiting for this. I think that the last couple hours should tell both of us where we stand, but we both still might need the other to say it. "I'm sorry about what happened two years ago."

"I'm sorry too," she says. "Especially about my overreacting... and your injuries... and-"

"It's all in the past," I say quickly, stopping her from continuing. Maybe I just didn't want to hear it, but I also didn't want her reliving it. Besides, it really is behind me. And _I _don't want to relive it.

"Still..."

"Nothing to apologize for. I said... some things... and you reacted. It's all past us now. Let's just worry about what we're going to do once Prof gets back."

**8_June_2023 - 01:49**

Finally back at Nerv, Fuyutsuki and Ikari sit in Ikari's office nursing snifters of a rather old bottle of brandy; somewhere in the range of fifteen years.

"Professor," Ikari says, "what do you know of Project Evangelion," Ikari asks around a small sip.

"It was Yui's pet project back at the university. It was -and I'm going back twenty years, my boy- a theory to bring life to artificial beings. I don't remember if she was interested in physical beings or digital ones, but I was quite interested."

"Do you recall a paper she penned near the end of that decade called _**Realization of Emotional Life**__?"_

_ "_Yes. She let me read it just before we began at Nerv. It was an interesting piece, but I do remember some holes in the execution of her experiment that I pointed out."

"Indeed, professor. We instituted many of your ideas when building the structure-"

The professor interrupted, hearing new ideas. "What are you talking about, Ikari? You act as if this project is already underway. It was a dream. A dream then and a faded dream now."

"And if I told you the project was already happening, professor, even as we speak," Ikari said, taking another sip, a larger one, of his drink.

"I would be... As I understand it," Fuyutsuki said, turning the conversation, "IPEA was only named what it is because it would keep people guessing. We never went anywhere with it."

"Professor, you have three members of your guild who are Yui's creations. She and I started this agency, Nerv, for the purpose of bringing forth Project Evangelion."

"What," Fuyutsuki exclaimed. "Nerv is-"

"Yui's dream," Ikari said, finishing Fuyutsuki's statement.

"What is the meaning of this, Ikari. When this all began twenty years ago, you never so much as mentioned anything on this scale."

"Professor Fuyutsuki, you will find that there are many things you do not yet understand. Rest assured," Ikari took a small sip, let it rest a moment and swallowed, "you will be given all you need."

"Ikari," Fuyutsuki said, "I feel there is something I should tell you."

"What is it, friend?"

"I obtained the means of escape, if only temporary, from your son."

"You said," Ikari agreed.

"It, as you implied, is what I did not say. I agreed to an exchange."

"Professor, what did you promise my son," Ikari said darkly.

"He desired two things. The first is a laboratory in this facility."

Ikari sat back in his chair. "Easily done. You are a detriment to my health-"

"There is more, my much learned student," Fuyutsuki said, suddenly looking ten years older than his even now elderly form. "He demanded the truth of what happened to Yui."

Ikari was still for nearly a minute. Fuyutsuki worried that he may have crossed a line. Gendo Ikari slowly opened his mouth. "A... task not impossible. What is the expected date of escape from Sword Art Online?"

"You want my opinion? I would say... roughly eighteen months."

"Time enough, professor."

**8_June_2023 - 07:10**

"Ikari," the aged professor said, "you take care of things on your end."

"And you, professor. Remember the units-"

"Members, Ikari. While they are in my guild, I'll not pretend otherwise."

"As you wish," Ikari said, nodding.

"I'll see you next time I can, son."

"Of course. I gave you the locations of the other nine, so they shouldn't be difficult to locate. God-speed."

Fuyutsuki chuckles. "We both know you don't belie-"

Kozou Fuyutsuki's eyes grow dark and he falls into a deep slumber through the NervGear as Ikari stares, knowing the next words.

"Perhaps," Ikari says as he rises from his seat, "old friend, this time I really do."

* * *

**Back to regular length updates. Might not be one for a while. I'm busy with everything at the university and I could hardly find time to write (sadface). As always, please review. **


	8. Silencing Angels Online

**Evangelion Versus Angels Online**

**Chapter Eight**

"Every dream is a reality and every reality is a dream. This is the basis on which we have to consider everything that we see from this point out."

-Commander Zero, 20 November 2057

"Understanding the difference between those realities will ensure your survival over the next year. If you don't understand that idea, you'll die. Period. You. Yes, you. If you want to survive the next ten seconds, use what I've been saying to avoid the pitfall."

-Commander Zero, 21 November 2057

* * *

**8_June_2023 - 7:10**

According to the HUD clock, it's just about sunrise in Aincrad. I'm not sure what time of day the sun rises in Japan this time of year, but it's probably not too far off. Asuka fell asleep in Prof's chair with a folded coat from my inventory as a blanket. I slept on the floor to the side of the door. It wasn't my bed, but with what we had to work with, I was content just to keep watch over the room and her along with it.

I jerked awake with a blast of adrenalin when Asuka yelped and fell out of Prof's chair. I looked up, bleary-eyed, to see that Prof had made it back to the world. He looked down the room at me from his seat saying, "Ah, hello. Good morning. How are you, my boy?" Plain, bland inscrutability. That's Prof all right.

My eyes must have given away my confusion, as Prof turned to the left and looked down at Asuka who had been thrown out of the chair by his sudden appearance.

He grinned a cynical, aged grin which belied wistfulness moreso than cruelty such a smirk would denote in another. "And the stunning Baron Langley," Prof said jokingly. "How fine it is to see the two of you again. How went your guarding of this office? Well, I hope."

"You could say that," I admitted. I crossed the room and helped Asuka to her feet.

She responded with, not looking completely flustered from her fall, "Nothing to report, sir," and saluted. I thought to myself, _she certainly recovered quickly; _then scolded myself for the internal comment. Though, it reminded me of something Prof taught me years back. If you think something foolish, you can correct it. If you say something foolish, you can still correct, but it's more difficult as people will be able to sense backpedaling over words.

Prof smiled his saintly smile saying, "Excellent."

"Hey, Prof," I said curtly, "you find out anything? Was the day worth it?"

Asuka lightly hit me in the arm before Prof answered, "Many things, my boy," he answered. Then said, "Another time. Now, I must rest; I am weary."

Prof gestured us out of the room. How he can sleep in there is beyond me. Maybe he has a hidden cot or something. Before Asuka or I could protest, we were out.

"So much for that," Asuka said, her pseudo-military attitude gone with the closed door. I think I like her better like this: mean-spirited, bright as a whip, hotter than the whole of creation on fire. Just as long as I don't say that particular anecdote out loud.

"Yeah," I agreed, "Prof could have at least told us something before he went to sleep."

"He's probably been awake since he left," Asuka defended.

When I thought about it, I admitted that being that age, trapped in a game, and awake for that length of time, plus however long he was awake before the trip... well, I conceded. "I guess. But it's just been so long since we've gotten news from the outside." I rubbed the back of by neck. "I guess I was just antsy." After the tutorial those months ago, we didn't receive a single piece of information about any world but this one. It was like those twentieth century science fiction novels. The main character tells his story about joining a generation ship or some other one-way trip to the stars, only to realize that he'll never hear from Earth again. And somehow does. Once.

Asuka grabbed my hand and dragged me along. "Let's go somewhere," she said, pulling out a pair of teleport crystals.

"Where," I asked.

"Doesn't matter," she answered as we passed though the halls. There were some I recognized, some we went through on the way in, only detouring once to stop by the barracks. Her private room was oddly bland. Not that we spoke much in the last two years -except for the game message boards and some PMing- but from what I saw of her room back in that other world, it was colourful, not this hospital-like, sterile nightmare of a personal bedroom. She grabbed several items from a chest at the foot of her bed, adding them to her inventory manually before grabbing me again and taking off for the lobby.

"Off for the day, Lady Langley," the woman who greeted us asked.

"Yes. Let the director know when he wakes up. We'll be back to report in around," Asuka made a show of looking at her HUD, "lets say twenty-hundred hours."

"Of course, Lady. Ranger," she said, nodding at me.

"Take it easy, Anchor," Asuka said handing me a crystal. "Teleport: Elfenlied."

* * *

**10_June_2023 - Fighter's Beachhead, Floor 35**

When we reported back to Prof, he had little to say. Not that we didn't nearly beg for more, but all he gave us was that someone was playing a long game and that we had to be ready at all times for total war against the unknown. Yeah... that told us something all right. It told us that we were probably doomed, but live it up and accept the world for the crap-sack it is probably going to become. That said, I just wanted to get a step closer to beating the floor and clearing the game.

The NPCs around the base of the mountain on floor thrity-five call this place the Fighter's Beachhead. They comment, as NPCs always do, vaguely about the name, something to do with the high number of mobs that spawn here, and the placement of enemies inside the final boss level. The most we know, from this and the two successful scouting missions into the room by the Knights of the Blood Oath and the Divine Dragon Alliance, is that the boss is called Quiertoe the Wraith. He looks reptilian and walks on three massive legs. His attacks might include ranged blasts of fire, but certainly include the use of an oversized, flaming claymore.

I found myself with a small part of the clearing group just outside the boss's door on the Fighter's Beachhead. We had cleared the Beachhead of spawned monsters, clearing the dungeon as we went. Even went up a level and a number of skill points in my equipped specials. In attendance were myself, Langley and our friends from the beginning of the game, Kirito and Asuna. Kirito brought two small guilds called Fuurinkazan and the Black Cats of the Full Moon. Asuna brought a group from her guild, the Knights of the Blood Oath. There were also a handful of other players. This guild calling itself Red Method and a couple solo players: Tabris and Sephirum. They all looked all right. Well... Sephirum freaks me out a little, but it might just be what he's going for. All in all, it came out to a clearing group of thirty-three. Not the best, forty-nine, but certainly workable.

"It's good to see you again," Asuna said to Asuka and I. "It's really been too long. How've you been since last February?"

"Yeah," I said, not dismissing the comment, but not committing myself to farther conversation. This is stressful enough. Not that I dislike Asuna, but I'd rather talk when -if- we get out of this.

Asuka said, "Things have gone well. I lost track of this bum for a while, but I finally tracked him down again."

"How are things going, Job," Kirito asked, having not seen me for quite a while – like everyone else.

"Well enough for my taste," I said, not quite lying. I -one player out of thousands- gave up a chance to go outside if only for a moment, and here I stand, fighting just like any other day. How could I have been so stupid. Damn you Prof. Why couldn't you give us a little more than 'be ready' and 'your father says hello.' I didn't need to know that. I snuck into this game with NervGear I'd never heard of and now I was living the consequences of my actions and being forced to pay with my life.

"That's good to hear," Asuna said. "I was worried when you stopped responding to messages."

"He does that," Asuka put in, seeming irritated. "Always going off on his own, ignoring the rest of us-"

"Like someone we know," Asuna said, glaring at Kirito. Are they...

"Hey, hey," Kirito exclaimed, "let's not play that game again-"

"What game," Asuna said, frowning.

"Let's focus on the task at hand," came a loud, but controlled voice. I stared across the cave to meet the striking eyes of Sephirum. He freaks me out. Sword longer than he is tall -two meters, at least- and a single torn wing sprouting from his back. At a guess, it's a broken quest item, like the Rat's whiskers. "If we are to win, we require a plan; strategy."

"What do you suggest," Kline, Kirito's old friend and the leader of his guild, asked the one-winged swordsman.

"A modified pincer. Two lines of flankers with a main fighter attack down the center," Sephirum answered. "The Knights of the Blood Oath would take the left flank which will encircle the enemy to keep him from moving. Fuurinkazan and the Black Cats on the right will move in and attack from behind. The solo fighters and the smallest guild here in the center. The center will move in and attack directly. This leaves no room for his retreat or escape."

"It's not bad," Kirito said, "but what about the elemental attacks? Does this boss have mobs with him?"

"That is unknown," said another new voice. I couldn't find him in the crowd, but he made himself seen. "We know little other than the main boss' attacks, and even then, it is not a great deal." His information node read _Tabris. _Looks about my age, silver-grey hair and doesn't seem to have any equipment attached other than his armor, a grey coat. For all I know, he's hiding his weapons, but nothing I can see.

"It doesn't matter," Sephirum said loudly. "The battle-plan I've outlined will suffice."

"Then I defer to your judgement," Tabris admonished. I don't like his attitude, but it can be endured. "I will follow, sir." He bowed deeply, mockingly. Yeah, I really don't like his attitude.

"Thank you. Now, on charge, those with swords in the group will hit, one after another. Any with daggers or nearly similar weapons will go in next, lower section near the legs. Last, the abnormal fighters. Myself with this," he hoisted the massively long sword, "Job with his unique ranged skill, and those with weapons like axes and maces. Are there any questions?"

There was one, from Tabris. He raised his arm into the air like a school-boy and said, "Yeah, who put you in charge?"

Sephirum ignored it. No use fueling fires, I suppose.

Asuna spoke up, "does anyone see any problems with Sephirum's plan?" She waited for any comments of disapproval. None. "All right then," she turned to Sephirum, "this show's yours."

He bowed showily.

"Gather into groupings; guilds together as I noted, spread into weapon groupings and rows according to type."

Asuna's guild moved to the flank, as did Klien's and the Black Cats. The rest of us arranged into the center with Sephirum leading. I kept toward the back, having a longer range. Kiriro took up position next to me. I guess he can move up quickly if he needs to.

"I don't trust him," he said at the first chance.

So that's it. "He has a decent plan. If something goes wrong, we have options," I said, hoisting my crossbow.

He stared at me for a long moment. "We subdue him. Nothing more."

I see. Maybe that's the difference between the two of us. He took on all the hatred and discrimination for being a beta-tester, while I do nothing but remove things in my way.

* * *

**24_September_2022**

I do things my own way. That is a certainly. Asuka and I went our separate ways today to shop for new equipment and explore a bit. Maybe hit a quest or two to get some Col to live on for a bit. Eating isn't necessary, but it is enjoyable. Call it a creature comfort. On the way out of the village, I ran into a player on a mob killing quest.

"Oi," he called out. "Are you questing too?"

I don't play RPGs much. But being stuck in one so long, I tried to get used to the new way people thought. This is life. Period. I was hesitant to answer, but approached slowly. "Y-yeah. I'm trying to start the quest to kill fifty mobs." I had heard about it from an NPC on my way out. Kill fifty, get paid. It's like protection, but without needing to protect anyone but yourself. I hate escort missions in games.

"Here," he said pointing to the center of a large clearing, "you just have to touch the stone in the field and accept when it asks you."

"Thank you," I said.

"No problem, new guy," he said, smiling. New guy? I guess I smelt of newbie, but I still don't like when someone calls attention to my temporary trouble. "You have your sword with you?"

"Sword? No, I have this," I held out my crossbow. He must have slowed to a stop, because his mouth stood agape slightly and his stance broke from a comfortable, even position to trying to balance on either leg for moments at a time, swaying back and forth.

"That's interesting," he said, suddenly coming out of that weird state. "I didn't know that SAO has a ranged class."

At the time, I didn't think anything of it, but later, I'd realize that there are no other ranged characters in Aincrad. Back then, such skills were sought after. People even killed thinking that unique skills could be inherited. Morons. "Neither did I, until I logged in and chose it."

"Cool. Wish I had looked at the selection closer," he said, still looking over my weapon. I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with his gaze.

"C-could we start? I have to get back to town before sundown," I said to get him away. The me now would just push back a little. Maybe Asuka has rubbed off on me in the worst way: personality.

"Back to back," he called, moving towards the field. "We defend each other and finish the quest quickly. We might even have time to do it twice." This last held the inflection of being a question, but I took it as advice.

"Let's go," I said.

"Go activate your half of the quest, and I'll get in position."

I did so, touching the quest marker, reading through the text and accepting. It sounded easy enough: kill fifty low level mobs, touch the stone again, get money. Three Col for each kill and a bonus of two Col per drop item you get from kills. Money for nothing, as Asuka put it. Granted, Col don't go far here, but near enough to all players can manage this quest in a few minutes. It's like working a minimum-wage job in the real world, but more physical.

"Get ready," this other player said. You know, he didn't offer his name. But then, neither had I.

I took up a crouching position behind him, aiming outward. A chime sounded and mobs started spawning around us. I couldn't turn back, but I suppose he was picking his off, cause I didn't have any flanking attacks to defend against. I used a set-skill called Triple Grape, so turn a single bolt into three for an attack. With my aim as it is, I was hitting two or three mobs with each shot. But I was running out of ammo. My counter read forty-two mobs killed, but my inventory was empty of ammunition for the crossbow. I took a biting attack from a wolf to get a small dagger from my inventory that Asuka insisted I carry. By ranged skill is around one-hundred, but my dagger skill is about fifty above that because of my ammunition problem. In retrospect, I should have known that a one-of-a-kind item would lack a standard method of maintenance and care.

As I stored my crossbow, my ranged skill went up a point and I stabbed the wolf gnawing on my leg. It cost me some health, but I finished off the last eight mobs without much problem. My unnamed friend finished up about the same time.

"That was badass," he exclaimed. "Where'd you learn to switch like that, barely took any time at all!"

"I have a... friend who yells at me if I don't practice."

"That accounts for it," he said.

What in hell does that mean? "I guess."

"Let's collect our prize," he said, walking away.

I stayed just long enough to collect the few bolts I could find and added them back into my inventory. Let's see. Got some meat drops and a few _remains. _I'll have to bury those for a bonus. Boosts karma in game, which in turn improves the chance of getting a rare drop. Granted it takes more than a hundred _remains _to go up one point, it's still a good practice if you want to live longer. Better drops equals better chances of staying alive, or at least settling down somewhere nice and waiting the game out.

"You got your money," I asked.

"Yeah. Your turn," he said, moving away to let me in.

I tapped the stone and got a pop up with my total: one-hundred seventy Col for kills and drops. Well worth a ten minute quest. This can cover me for about the next half week or so.

"Looks good to me," I said, "but I really have to get back," I finished, not wanting to continue wasting ammunition. I want to improve my range, not waste bolts on short range opponents.

"I understand," he said. "Then I'll see you around."

"Yeah. Looks like we'll be on his floor a while," I said, just confirming what people generally think these days. Besides the quests, the floor was hunted clean of ways to gain experience within the first two weeks. And the quests, while unlimited, get old.

"Well," he said, "I lied."

"Hmm," I responded, not quite understanding the twist in mood.

"I lied to you. I won't see you around." Which was when he activated a sword skill and came at me, sword ready for a killing move.

It-it was reflex. You can set a quick attachment in your inventory via the heads-up-display. I set my left-hand trigger-finger to equip my crossbow. I raised it and fired before either of us knew what happened. Then, he was gone. It took so little.

* * *

**10_June_2023**

It's not that I enjoy the killing, but not dying is my main goal. If that means killing, even players, then I'll kill. That's where Kirito and I seem to differ in terms of morality.

We approached the massive door in front of us, lined up and ready to defend from all sides. Our self-proclaimed leader touched the stonework, which glowed before sliding away. With the passage open, we charged in, unafraid. The boss room, like most of the others the front-line fighters have seen so far, is a large, circular chamber. This one stands out as having seven equidistant pillars reaching the ceiling and somewhat uneven ground. It looks like it's covered in rocks, but on closer inspection, the bumps in the stone are marble fused directly into the floor. This could be hard to fight on, especially considering how we've fought boss' up until now. No one has had to think about loosing their footing in the middle of a fight before.

"Spread out," Sephirum called out. "Our enemy will reveal himself momentarily."

Timing as this world, or perhaps any, had never seen. A mammoth, three-legged monster came out of the dark near the portal to the next floor. His body is made, seemingly, of scales and flames. The scouting missions are only so useful, I suppose. No one mentioned the flaming attribute besides the rumor of fire-breathing. He lifted a massive claymore just as his tag appeared.

* * *

[Quiertoe the Wraith]

[HP: 10 000]

* * *

Two bars shouldn't be too bad with this many people. I tensed, getting ready to fire. I glanced around at the group, not quite taking my eyes off the target. Everyone waited. This was a professional clearing group. A leader was designated and we followed his word, even when it was just to hold and wait.

Just as the Wraith started his attack, Sephirum shouted, "left flank, move in and encircle. Right flank, behind the target. Center, head-on assault."

The left flank, Asuna and ten high-leveled members of the Knights of the Blood Oath, circled around the Wraith, using short attacks to keep him within the perimeter they set up. The right flank, the Black Cats of the Full Moon and Fuurinkazan, made their way around the back, positioned just as the center flank began its attack. Sephirum started with a slashing sword skill that left him open, but covered by the next attacker.

I opened fire, aiming for spots with the ranged skill that other players couldn't reach. Asuka, Kirito and Tabris backed each others attacks up with assist bonus damage I've never seen before.

That small guild in the center group, the Red Method, attacked in a repetitive sequence: the leader, Roland, with a long sword. Weird-looking guy called von Meyer with unarmed strikes attacks next. Then players Skye and Fairy in a flurry with a pair of swords that seemed to match, each blue as the azure sky. Those two are relentless.

Around the back, the right flank was carving into the Wraith much as the center was. It was a combination attack of small daggers, then swords of all sorts, then spears and axes and, finally, unarmed. Only one user in the flank was using unarmed skills. He used the name Bartender-san, but everyone seemed to refer to him either with an ancient honorific reserved for royalty, or as Shizuo. His strength, unarmed and, if you can believe it, unarmored, was terrifying. I might start using that royal honorific should I get the chance to meet this man in person. The left flank held encirclement, keeping the Wraith where we could get at him easily.

During the solid beating we were delivering to this beast, he unleashed those fire-based breath attacks on us. The players from the Knights of Blood seemed to be holding those off and even forcing the Wraith to attack them rather than the main force. Don't ask me how, but I did hear a rumor from the floor twenty-nine clearing group that the KOB had come up with a way to stop attacks. Maybe this was what they were talking about. A special item, a weapon, some exploit or a cheat; I don't know. I doubt it's a cheat or anything like that though, or, at least, I hope the strongest guild in Aincrad would never stoop to cheating to attain their goal of ending the game.

The last wave of attack from the Wraith hit the KOB once his health fell below a thousand.

"Circle up, all fighters. Protect the encirclement," Sephirum called out as the monster was breaking the circle with his last-ditch strength boost. Most boss monsters get more power or buffs when they are down to one-tenth health.

The clearing group did as he said. I held towards the back, my talents working best from a distance, and observed, trying to find a spot to fire towards.

But then. Sephirum called, "Knights of Blood, finish the boss!" The knights ran in, Sephirum following. The other flanks fell back to a safe distance and I leveled my weapon at the boss' head, but didn't fire. Three members of the Knights were in front of our leader when he went for a finishing slash. Seemingly without care or worry, he ran his sword over those three members of the Knights of the Blood Oath, defeating the boss and killing them all.

It took a minute for the clearing group to gather. No one seemed to know what happened. I knew what happened, but as I spoke up, another voice cut in.

"What was that," a young, clearly horrified voice said strongly. "What in the fuck was that!?"

Sephirum looked at the single voice in the group. "What was what, Tabris," he responded dully.

He stared, mouth open and eyes wide. "You," he started again. "You killed three of ours. You cut through them. You ended their lives!"

There were murmurings in the crowd. People's gazes were split on the two. They didn't seem to know what to think.

One member of the KOB spoke up. "Do you have proof of that?" He spoke levelly, trying to adjudicate fairly on the deaths of his comrades, but he looked about ready to give way to shakes.

Tabris, the ashen-haired teenager, stared back at the KOB member. "I don't. I saw it. That is my only proof." He looked around. "Did anyone else see?!"

No one seemed to speak up, so I decided it was time to. "I saw."

This got me stares from most of the group. Maybe my hesitation to speak up was working against me in getting people to believe what I said. Some seemed to just take it on my word that I'd seen, some looked like they were holding out for proof.

"How," one said, a member of the Black Cats by the name of Tetsuo. "You were in the back of the group the whole fight, how would you have seen?" He quickly put his hands up. "Don't get me wrong, man. I don't think you're lyin', but we need proof."

"My-" Do I really want to give away my second secret. By now, it's fairly common knowledge that the front-liner who uses a crossbow only can because of a unique skill. Do I dare reveal the other? "I have a... skill. I can read the intent of other players if I'm looking in their direction."

"Then I take it you were targeting me," Sephirum said.

"No! I said direction, not target."

"Then how do you know," he challenged.

"You targeted the man in front of you on the last attack. I'm certain. My Third Eye can't be lied to."

"Third Eye? You are not offering any proof here, Job," Sephirum said testily. He was obviously trying to put me on the defensive, but I hardly have the oratory skills to throw it back in his face in front of all these people.

"Does he have to," Tabris said. "You have two people who saw you target and kill three members of the Knights of the Blood Oath. He," Tabris pointed at me, "even saw it though a unique skill. Your marker is orange." He pointed at the bright orange marker above Sephirum's head. "Isn't that enough," he asked to the room.

"No," Sephirum said, swinging his massive sword at Tabris.

To my surprise, Kirito, who had been across the room, appeared in an instant, his black sword, the Elucidator, out and holding back Sephirum's with ease. I was watching Kirito's health go down slightly, then replenish with battle regeneration. Sephirum pulled back, but only to find that another sword had grown in his throat. Tabris was at the other end of it. He stared back at the hilt of the blade in shock as his health fell fast.

"The crime is clear. Sentence is death." He ripped his sword from Sephirum's neck, hacking his head clean off and creating a flurry of polygons. That was that. His marker didn't even turn orange; he only killed an orange player.

I was shocked. Kirito was pale. Everyone was backing away.

"As long as we're sharing unique skills," he looked at me with an inviting smile, "I feel you should know mine. It is called Great Good. It allows me to gain a massive assist bonus in the followthrough of the attack of another. You just saw it. Kirito used a basic block to hold back the dead man. I came through with an attack that matched the speed he blocked at: an assist at the maximum speed and strength, as Kirito supplied, is almost unavoidable, especially for trash like him. Speaking of," he checked his inventory, "I got his stuff when he died. I think this is yours," he tossed the last-attack bonus, and her comrades personal effects, to Asuna, she being the highest ranking member of KOB present. "Your members have been avenged. That is the price for vengeance and for the greater good." He held up a single, gold, glowing coin minted with a facsimile of the floating castle Aincrad; a Mega-Col, the collected money from all three.

Asuna looked at the stack of goods and personal items from her fallen men in her arms and frowned, but didn't speak or even make a sound to acknowledge the gift. She handed the pile off to a subordinate, stared into Tabris' eyes and said, "thank you," before slowly turning and walking away. The members of the KOB followed toward the exit portal into floor thirty-six.

Kirito ran after her and the group, grabbing his right shoulder with his left hand as he moved. This was a signal between the two of us, worked out in advance should something need... discretion. It meant 'private message you when I can, expect it' or something to that effect. It was a warning that he would try to get in touch with me, but that it was secret. The way this was unfolding, I wanted nothing more than to get back home – or at lease my sealed apartment, where I could think.

The group dispersed, the Black Cats leaving first. Fuurinkazan left, Kline saying he was disappointed he didn't have a chance to talk to Kirito before he ran out. I didn't even see those Red guys leave. I suppose I have my mind on other matters. Asuka, Tabris and myself were left. He came on to me first.

"Here," he said, and a message appeared on my HUD reading:

* * *

[Friend Request: Tabris]

[Approve] [Ignore] [Reply]

* * *

I looked at him, his face impassive, and clicked yes. He grinned, showing that he had gotten the notification to my answer right away.

Asuka said, "Shinji, it's time we left."

"Yeah," I said. "What about you," I asked of this new... I can't really say friend. Perhaps... resource? No, that's just too mean.

"I'm getting back to floor fifteen. I don't usually play clearer like this."

"All right then," Asuka said.

"We're going on ahead. See you around," I said.

"Indeed. I'll see you around, Ranger Job."


	9. Unbalanced Equations Online

**Evangelion Versus Angels Online**

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

"From somewhere, back in my youth, heard Prof say, _Manuel, when faced with a problem you do not understand, do any part of it you do understand, then look at it again. _He had been teaching me something he himself did not understand very well -something in maths- but had taught me something far more important, a basic principle. Knew at once what to do first."

-Manuel Garcia O'Kelly Davis, 2076

* * *

Thinking back, nothing went the way I expected. But, then, when do expectations meet with reality in a fashion benefiting the people dreaming them up? Even now, I remember my expectations from twenty fourteen. To this day, I believe it was love at first sight.

Must have been eight or nine. Father had grilled me on proper manners for his foreign visitors: remember honorifics – in German. Bow properly. Don't repeat any word that I don't understand without asking about it. Father knew Doctor Soryu well. And, as the trains run on time, Doctor Kyoko Tyler Soryu came in, a litany of swears and angry, universal gestures abound.

"God-damned, mother-fucking, useless bastards born from donkey piss," she yelled in barely understandable German as she and her daughter left the train, luggage in tow.

Father answered in a calm, familiar tongue. "Kyoko, it's been too long. How have you been?"

Still in a huff, Soryu answered quite loudly, "Pissed off," in Japanese.

Father and Soryu spoke for several minutes while I peeked out from behind him. Then, I took notice of someone doing much the same from behind Doctor Soryu. She was wearing somewhat heavy clothing for the weather, and a tan hat hiding her long, vivid red hair. She poked her head out just long enough for me to see her face. I'm not sure if she noticed me, but she was stunning.

From the national train station in Kyoto, you can see most of the historical spots in the city. The girl, only three centimeters shorter than my own short stature, slowly walked over to the observation platform. I followed behind, tentatively and awkwardly, paying little more than a glance at our respective parents. There, I simply stood near her as she stared out over Kyoto, noting the hundreds of years old buildings and monuments.

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, she began to speak quickly – in German. "My God, this place is so large. I can't even see the end of the village." She turned to me. Still speaking the unknown language, "how far away is that," she asked, pointing at the sliver of Nijo Castle we could see from here. It was hidden by buildings and landscape. When I couldn't seem to speak, she said, "didn't you hear me? How far-" And it dawned on her – that I, quite literally, could not understand her. She made the switch, shakily. "How's this? Japanese?"

I answered, slowly, unsure if she could understand the fast tongue. "Yes. Uh... I didn't catch what you asked before."

She frowned. "Ugg... mother was insistent. Need to learn more."

Her grammar wasn't much, but she was surely intelligent to comprehend even that much of the complicated language. I wondered if she understood the Kanji.

"We can go there," she asked, or perhaps stated. I couldn't tell, given her unfamiliarity with the language.

"If father says we can," I replied, dependent on my father's answer to a visit to the local sights.

"Asuka," the older woman said, voice accented nearly out of my understanding. The name sounded similar to one I had heard on television, but slightly different. Different use of the syllables, I suppose. Then she was again speaking in German to the girl – to Asuka. "Gather your things, we are going to the hotel."

Asuka turned to me. "Mother says we're going. Will you be around with your father?"

I didn't quite catch on. "If father brings me."

"Mama, can Mr. Gendo come with us," Asuka said quickly. The only word I could make out in her native tongue was _mama_.

Soryu seemed to think on this a moment; probably sizing me up, seeing as, in retrospect, her interest in father coming along was my coming along.

"After we've settled down, dear," Soryu answered in German. Father leaned down to translate for me. He told me that we could see the two again soon.

Asuka cheered. "Thank you, mama." She turned to me and spoke in hesitant Japanese, "See you later."

"Of course," I answered in a moment of clarity of mind; feeling slightly older than I was at the time.

It was just later that evening we met again and I learned that Asuka's mother, who seemed to have an endless string of names sandwiched between the two she used, was being brought on to the staff at father's lab in the coming spring. Up until then, I hadn't been able to get close to people as friends. But this would mark a turning point – and and end of night lying alone without a thought of my own or of others.

Then, it came crashing down after seven years. It wasn't anything she did; or that's what I told myself after the fact. I think it was a long time coming. Her mother's work had come to an end due to an ever-increasing demand for money for other projects and she wasn't adapting to high school in Japan very well. Primary and Junior-High went well for the two of us. Hell, we'd been dating since grade seven. But the stress and the people finally got to her.

"I don't want to talk about this," she screeched as the fake wood that made up the television unit broke under the extra strain of being hit. I could see the wood split and rushed over, only to get a fisted hand to the stomach for the trouble of pushing her out of the way. And... it went from there. She ran out, striking the only other person in shouting distance, Doctor Eli Vance, a co-worker of our parents. I took a hit to the head from a falling decoration and ended up buried in a hundred kilograms of fake wood and electronics.

Unpleasant.

* * *

**30_October_2024******** – ****03:31**

We have fairly nice accommodations on Floor Fifty-Five. Two bedrooms, large living space and looks nice inside and out. Though, all the accommodation in the world couldn't keep me from leaping out of bed screaming this morning. I was having such a nice dream too... but it turned quickly. What was it about again? Screw it. Dreams don't mean much in the long term, I think.

The door burst open and I stared, bleary-eyed, at Asuka standing there panting. It seems I woke her up. "What," she demanded. "What's happening!?"

I just stared.

"Another one," she asked, frowning, but not leaving.

I nodded.

"Old one or new one," referring to one of several concurrent nightmares I've been having for a year or so now, and the occasional new play preformed on the stage of my mind. Though, in general, they were things I thought I had long-forgotten.

"Old," I said simply. I was numb from the... was it a memory, or something I came up with on my own?

"I see."

I had told Asuka about the old ones as they began to repeat themselves. As I tried to leave out details leading to the memory part of the nightmares, she put the pieces together. Three of them are based on memories of her. And another four on scattered memories of mother and father. Asuka took slight offense at the one of when we met, but understood the nightmares based on my remembrance of our break up and subsequent year, not of the earlier, less committal memories. _Ah, the innocence of childhood, _I mused. But when it came to the others, she tried to understand, but eventually gave up in frustration around the time I did.

"Want a shoulder," she asked, sitting down next to me in the small bed.

"No," I replied slowly. I just didn't want anything at the moment.

She pulled my head down onto her shoulder regardless of my answer. It was soft – comfortable. "Well, you don't know what you want anymore," she justified.

"I guess so," I conceded.

* * *

** 10:20**

After that, the night went more quietly. While Asuka and I were together again, we never did much about it. Sleeping in the same room was more of a comfort in this world that had, for a long time, wronged us, rather than an intimate encounter. We slept well together.

That morning, we were to meet with some friends from Granzam to get ready for a Halloween special boss.

"Well, there's no information about it," I overheard in the cafe.

"I know that, but I still want it," came another voice.

"Sendix said his guild's planning a fight."

"You want something no one knows anything about?"

"It's worth millions!"

"I heard it brings people back to life."

"The Army's gonna' move in and take it."

The rumor-mill never ends. I can't stand all the gossip about the special drop. The four of us -Asuka, Kirito, Asuna and myself, as per usual for out get-togethers- sat around a small, circular table with coffees and cakes to nosh on.

"So what's your plan then," Asuka exclaimed somewhat peevishly as Kirito explained that her plan -a full frontal assault- wasn't likely to work.

"I don't have a specific one," he offered.

"Then what's the difference between my plan and your lack of one!"

"Perhaps, more of a dual attack," Asuna offered in opposition to the direct method.

Asuka calmed slightly. While dual-faceted attacks weren't uncommon, assaults from the front were the most useful against AI monsters. But then, larger and stronger enemies were tougher and needed something more pronounced in the planning stage.

"How about some bolts," Kirito said, directing his comment at my ranged ability.

"Ammo isn't a problem," I said, offering something that wouldn't bind me to actually doing anything. I'll fight when I can't avoid it, but going after the special boss is bound to get us talked about; and getting talked about is bound to lead people to us that want what we have.

"Then how about..." Kirito outlined an attack where I draw the aggression of the special boss and the sword-wielders in our little group move in relative safety to hit. My safety is less than guaranteed, but then, when is it ever safe in Aincrad.

"It's not a bad plan," Asuka said slowly, "but I don't like how we're leaving Shin- Job out to dry. It doesn't sit well with me."

"Even if I promise his safety," Kirito asked.

"How do you plan to do that?"

Kirito launched into a... captivating tale of the Floor 74 boss battle. It was wonderful. Earlier that day, the day they cleared 74, Kirito and Asuna had been mapping the area around the boss chamber, something that needs to be done by a scouting party. They happened to volunteer for the Knights of the Blood Oath guild to scout while they were level-grinding. Kirito was accosted by a near-unto-death group from the Aincrad Liberation Force, a guild dedicated to clearing the hundred levels of Aincrad as swiftly as possible to save everyone. They were doing about as well as everyone else, if that gives any indication of their power. Their squadron leader, a colonel called Cobert, demanded their mapping information. Kirito surrendered it, allowing the Army, as they were known, to copy it. Map data, while valuable, isn't worth much with another group already nearly as far as you've gone. If he'd gotten back to the town to sell it, he might have made a few dozen Col on it at the most.

Barely an hour later, they had met up with Kirito's friends in Fuurinkazan, just by chance. He described the screams from the boss room as 'the wailing of the damned,' and rushed in with Kiein's people to find several members of the Army on the ground in the chamber and three dead – one, their leader, just as he entered. Asuna piped in, telling us the part Kirito would muddle or leave out. He rushed in -ignoring the fact the she ran in first- blocked the boss by himself and used something no one had ever seen before.

"What was it," I asked, bringing myself out of the tale for a moment to react.

"Dual Blades."

Kirito explained the technical aspects of the unique skill while Asuna went in for the more poetic version of the battle. She outlined a very one-sided fight between The Gleam Eyes, that floor's boss, and Kirito. He started with the longsword he's known for, the Elucidator. Told Asuna and Klein that he needed a few seconds to change equipment and pulled his second sword, another longsword called Dark Repulser, to fill an empty hand.

"I lost the hit counter, it was changing so quickly," Asuna said, commenting on how fast Kirito's Starburst Stream combo attack moved and the amount of hits he got in. Kirito offered a number in the high twenties, but couldn't say if the extra hits were part of the skill or extras he managed to get.

The conversation went on, Kirito and Asuna filling in parts of the tale the other left out, offering not-quite promises of protection in the upcoming battle with the unknown special boss. Shinji was appeased; Asuka was... not happy, but accepting.

I don't know about other players, but the four of us should have formed our own guild. We party together enough, and we bridge the gaps between our groups. Asuna is our ticket into the Knights of the Blood Oath. Asuka, with some restraint, is the group's access to the IPEA, who offer assistance when they can. Kirito and I were the link to solo players, the few of us left. It wasn't well know, but the solos are the best players. Period. The average level in KOB went up by more than fifteen when Kirito joined. And my level was only two below his, but with a totally different character build. Asuka and Asuna were about ten levels under us, but only because they weren't training-nuts like we are. I can only think of three other players who could match us. And I want them on out side. So, I sent some private messages.

The first message was met with an unexplained and foreseen _no._ Suppose if I really want his help, I'll have to go through Klein. After all, if being the leader of a guild meant anything, it was following the orders given. My second message made it back with a hesitant _yes. _I don't blame Roland for not wanting to fight an unknown boss. He's not cowardly, but he has a responsibility to his guild not to die. Last thing I'd want to do to his group -or wife- is separate them from one another. The last message came back with a definite _yes._ It would seem that Tabris meant it when he said he'd do anything for me. It's not as creepy as it sounds, but Asuka says otherwise.

"He freaks me out," she exclaimed the moment I brought up the message.

"I don't see why," I defended.

"He was clearly coming on to you."

At this, Kirito and Asuna's interest peaked. They _oohed _and _aahed _over the revelation. I just leaned back in my chair, trying to salvage what little dignity I can from her worries. It's not my fault if someone's hitting on me; but rather, it is my problem if Asuka thinks so. How bothersome.

Asuka shot back with, "it's not like Shinji did anything!"

"Doesn't sound like a big deal," Asuna said.

"I agree," I put in flat-faced and monotone, trying not to flush a darker shade of red at Asuka's accusation about Tabris.

"He's a creeper! I just don't like the way he looks at you. It's not normal!" As always, Asuka with her lack of tact. Maybe that's part of why I love her. Or maybe it's the charm that no one else can see. Or maybe it's just that she'll be honest with me when no one else will.

"Don't talk like that," Asuna put in. Yeah... the charm others can't see.

"I can't help it," Asuka said. "He just rubs me the wrong way."

"You'd rather he rubs Job," Kirito said with a smirk. Asuka flushed bright red. We all, save Asuka, shared a laugh before she came down off her rant on the half-German and half-Japanese morals she was brought up on. Can't even blame her.

"If you'd rather he not come-" I tried to appease after a few minutes.

"No, no," Asuka said. "He'll be useful to beat this special boss."

_Useful_. I don't like it when Asuka speaks like that, but it's just how she is. Pragmatism over propriety. He doesn't like Tabris, but she's willing to work with him when we need a little extra power.

"All right. I'll let him know where we're going, which is?"

Asuka answered immediately, "Floor 50. The Halloween boss is going to show up in the Hallowed Grounds near the southern edge of the castle."

"Floor 50," I muttered. "Got it. Are he heading there now, or are we spending the night here?"

"Now. I want to be waiting there when the boss shows up, not caught unawares and against other guilds. The prize is ours!"

Kirito just looked on as Asuna covered her mouth to suppress a mirthless chuckle. Apparently my dead friends think I may be under the whip here. I grinned at them, not to try to dissuade them from making assumptions, but rather to confuse them slightly. I grinned wider when it worked, setting in a cycle of my own amusement.

* * *

**32_October_2024 – 23:49**

It's almost time. We met up with Tabris half a day or so ago, to Asuka's discomfort. He came up out of nowhere with a hug for me and a grin and a handshake for Asuka – even that was probably more than she wanted to associate with him. Kirito bowed shallowly, prompting Asuna and Tabris to do the same. It seems he's not unfamiliar with several forms of greeting, though, I was less than OK with his greeting for me, given Asuka's misgivings. Maybe I'll see it coming next time and put my hand out or bow or something.

We spent the next several hours going over strategy. Asuna and Asuka are paired for maximum speed and close-quarters-combat ability. The two of them can get in and out quickly for small, but repeated damage counters. Kirito goes in alone to attack with his Dual Blades ability; and Tabris follows his attacks up with his assist damage. It was obvious to me that he still scared Kirito. Ever since the Floor 35 fight, every time the two are together, Kirito speaks to Tabris through me. While everyone eventually decided that the player-killing scum deserved death, at the time, Kirito was appalled and ashamed that his attack was used as a starting point to execute the man in such a... horrible way. Most hold that the Black Iron Prison is a better place for killers, but then no one thinks about what's going to happen to them when the game ends. Will they leave SAO as normal people, or will they continue to kill in the real world? Time will tell.

That aside, I'll be taking up my normal post as sniper. Ammunition hasn't been a problem since I met that blacksmith working with the Cydonia guild Asuka and I saved a while back. She said she owed me for not letting her guild go bankrupt, and all I needed to do was bring materials for her to change into bolts and -to my surprise- arrows. Bolts are enough like bullets that they do similar damage in this world. But arrows have special damage counters. Inflammatory attributes, liquids and super-sharp – which is about what it sounds like. I prefer normal arrows over special ones, but super-sharps are useful against heavily armored or powerful mobs – and even people, if the situation calls for it.

"Ten minutes to go," Kirito announced to no one in particular. We were painfully aware one of the toughest battles so far was about to begin. This place really is hallowed ground. It was designed to look like a graveyard out of an old, Britannian horror movie.

"No contacts yet," Asuka offered, still scanning the area for enemies. It's surprising no other groups had shown up yet.

The little we know about the boss is that it will arrive, hold for about ten seconds while its name comes up and health bars fill – just like all bosses in Aincrad. Other than that, the five of us are ready for nearly everything except an admin suddenly deciding we'd look better as fluttering polygons.

"White Death and Black Swordsman, you are surrounded. Surrender now," came a loud, authoritative voice.

From my perch in the brush, I looked out over at least ten players all brandishing similar weapons and gear, but I wasn't sure what guild they were from. No one made a move. I swore inwardly, cursing myself for pressing my luck with that admin comment.

"Again, the White Death, player Job; and the Black Swordsman, player Kirito are to surrender to the Divine Dragon Alliance at once. Failure to surrender will result in your deaths and the deaths of any players who choose to defend you. You have ninety seconds to reply."

Ninety seconds. That sure was generous of them. What the hell is going on. I received a message from Asuka. _Don't surrender. Asuna and I are circling around to the left flank. He and Kirito are moving to the right. Don't move until we attack._

I sent a reply. _Numbers?_

Asuna replied for her. _Around 30. Maybe more. _

Crap. More than thirty enemies. Sixty seconds to prepare. If I can pick them off from a distance, maybe the others can get away. My message rang out again. _And don't you even think about trying to take them all on yourself, idiot._

That was Asuka. But then, who else would call me an idiot for that plan? I know it was stupid to try to take them all, but I don't like being the only ranged character. I'd rather be on the ground fighting with them, rather than hanging back and playing death-from-above.

With the timer under twenty seconds, I climbed up the least dead tree I could find to get a better vantage point. Then, "You are out of time. Do you surrender?"

Nothing.

"Prepare to die," the apparent leaver yelled out. He called out orders to his people and they charged into the graveyard. It seems we have to do this the hard way.

I suddenly got one last message before the fight began for real. _If you take off a beast's head, it flails around, needlessly._

Tabris sent that one. He and Asuka should really get along better, they're so much alike. What he was telling me was... distasteful. He wanted me to kill the leader – or at least the one calling for our deaths. He thinks that would put an end to the battle before it really got to us. But... I just can't kill like that. Kirito once came to me a night we were all together. The normally stoic Black Swordsman who caused such fear in other players broke down in tears. Why? The Knights of the Blood Oath, back in August, set out on a campaign to wipe out the Laughing Coffin guild. Normally, this wouldn't matter, but by then Kirito had been inducted into the KoB after losing a duel with their leader, Heathcliff. Out of thirty remaining members of Laughing Coffin, Kirito killed two during the battle, plus one some months before that who had infiltrated the KoB and made an attempt on his and Asuna's lives. He felt sorrow for the lives he ended. It would have broken him without us around to be with. Maybe I'm being melodramatic, but I was sworn to secrecy, especially when dealing with Asuna and Asuka. He didn't want them to know. My killings – they still eat away at me. But, I get along knowing that it was self-defense; or perhaps self-deception.

But this time, I shot straight. Not a killing shot, but something almost as effective. Poisoned arrows. A trick I picked up from the Laughing Coffin in the early days of Sword Art Online. But this poison doesn't kill. And my arrows don't shoot at only one target. It's a simple but super-effective combination attack using shotgun mode and arrows filled with a potion that paralyzed players for roughly forty minutes. Almost fool-proof. Then...

Midnight.

From the far-off town on the center-most floor in Aincrad, the bell-tower was chiming a terrifying cloister-bell. Ga-Gong. Ga-Gong. Ga-Gong. Ga-Gong. I turned from my prey to see the special boss materialize.

I could hear the clash of blades below, but all I could manage to do at the moment was mindlessly change out my poison arrows, useless on boss mobs, for my most damaging variants. The arrow clicked in the heavily modified chamber as the boss came to live. It manifested as three human-looking women, each sitting atop their own broom.

* * *

The Sanderson Sisters

HP: 60 000 (20 000 x 3)

* * *

Well, shit. The three witches started circling around, each acting as a separate mob, it seemed. _Nothing for it_, I thought to myself, and fired. Four hundred damage to one of them in one hit – sneak-attack critical hit. _This is going to take a while, _I mused as I set another arrow into place.

* * *

Back outside the graveyard the rest of my group beat away at the entire force of the Divine Dragon Alliance. I still don't know what happened. They announced a change in leadership in the forum hall on Floor One a month or so back, but haven't made a peep since then. I guess this is what a new boss means. Then again, what's five dead players versus the chance to get a great item from a secret boss? That's how they must be thinking. The five of us... we're just in the way of the DDA. But, that doesn't mean they can bowl us over like we're nothing. We are five of the top ten players all gathered into one group. We're not a guild, but we come damn close.

The paralyzing arrows took care of the majority of the first wave of fighters, thirty-five in all. The second wave was the rest of their guild, totaling out at one hundred twenty-eight players ranging between level forty and seventy-five. Our group average is ninety. Between the five of us, Shinji took his share of fighters out before running to take care of the main fight. Even then, the others were doing all they could not to kill anyone, despite fighting a massive, newly christened Orange guild.

"Asuna, circle around," Kirito bellowed. He was preparing a pincer to slash limbs from his attackers. They would be put out of the fight, but the dismembered players wouldn't incur permanent damage. Use a potion, which are abundant, and the limb comes right back. He figured it was a humane way to put an end to this fight and go to help Shinji – or rather, Job.

Asuna came around and the two plowed into the horde of Divine Dragons. With a scream, they took down nine members and came about to pass again. One attacker even surrendered. He just didn't want to fight the Black Swordsman, let alone the Flash. Up and ran, tossing his weapons at the pair so they landed just a meter from them. Kirito and Asuna looked at each other a moment and laughed.

"How many more do you think'll do that," Asuna said through her amusement.

"Not sure. All of them," Kirito said, more as a mocking question than a statement – hopeful even.

Their mockery is interrupted by a massive war-call across the field. Asuna turned to see what remained of their attackers moving away from their location.

"What are they up to," she asked rhetorically.

"Not sure," Kirito responded. "Nothing good," as he took off after them. If it's a retreat, let them go. If they're moving the attack or trying to regroup, finish them off.

They ran after the quick-paced army until they came across Asuka in a high tree, who they only noticed because she showed up on their HUD as a friendly.

"Oi, Langley," Kirito called out.

She looked down. "Yeah?"

"See anything up there? What's the enemy doing?"

"Not sure," she answered honestly. They didn't seem to be doing anything of use. "They're just running around. Friggin' chickens."

"Any sign of Tabris," Asuna said.

"None. That freak either ran off or died," Asuka said in a huff before leaping down.

"You don't know?"

"How should I," Asuka demanded. He had taken off in the middle of the fight, citing his kill count at slightly higher than his share of the fight. Asuka was glad to see him gone. "Bastard tore off before I could ask questions. Fool. Even dropped out of the party. I can't see him on the HUD."

"Nothing to do about it then," Kirito said. "High time we went to help Job, eh?"

"Agreed," Asuka said.

They arrived in the battle zone to find... nothing. No sign that Shinji had been fighting, no special boss and no markers.

"Job," Asuna said sorrowfully.

"If he'd been killed, there would be a counter left behind. He'd also be gone from our displays," Asuka said, referring to her head-up display which showed three other players aside herself. "I'll search the map."

* * *

**1_November_2024 – 03:29**

"All right, I'm here. What's going on," I asked the white-haired teenager in front of me.

He stared me down for a moment. I found myself trying to break his gaze and failing. "I wanted to speak to you without the others around. I get the feeling that Miss. Soryu doesn't trust me very much."

_You can say that again_, I thought to myself. It would be rude to say that out loud, so I forwent the mention. "I see," I said simply. Not quite agreeing, but not brushing off his trouble. "So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Wait a second...

"Something slightly taboo in this world."

There's that odd feeling again. Like back when I was still getting my bearing on the world. Like when that weird _thing_ approached me with information about mother and father. I... it's like deja-vu, but different. Like I know what he's going to say before he even speaks. I don't understand this feeling. "I can only think of two, and you've already crossed one." And he had. In Aincrad, our society is built on a few things. First, beating the final boss. Second, surviving until then. And third, being good to each other. Sounds cliché, but trust me, that last one falls to two rules: don't kill and don't talk about the outside world. It just ends up sending people, some anyway, into suicidal depression. The one Tabris already cross was murder. But then, so had I and other solo players I trust. It's a nearly inescapable stigma of this so-called game.

"You could say, it has something to do with the other one. I wanted to talk about Earth."

What about... wait. "Tabris-"

"Kaoru," he said quickly. "Nagisa Kaoru. My name."

"Nagisa," I repeated slowly.

"I am number four," he offered.

"Four?"

"As you are number one, and Miss. Soryu is number three; and Miss Akagi, I'm not sure if you've met her recently, is number two. But then, you already knew about the others, didn't you?" He grinned widely. The Cheshire Cat would be hard-pressed to match.

What... I know? What do I know? What the hell are you talking about Kaoru?

"Confused," he asked.

"Of course I am."

"Then allow me to clear up your mind," he said. "This may hurt, but then, when doesn't it?"

I was going to object, but my vision went black and my HUD flashed something I feared above all else.

* * *

YOU ARE

DEAD

* * *

**6_November_2024**

"I said I don't know!" The voice was shrill and worn from nearly a week of saying the same thing. "I told you ten thousand times, I don't know where Job or Tabris are!" It was an old answer, but some people can't take the answer.

"My dear," Prof said in that well-known, school teacher voice which left no room for argument, "I understand you filed a report, and I believe every word, but you made no mention of young Shinji after you were separated on the night of the thirty-first. Is that all you have?"

"Of course that's all I have," she nearly screamed back at him.

"Then, you are to investigate."

"Investigate what? We don't have anything!"

Professor Fuyutsuki sat in the plush chair behind his desk and buried his face in his hands. "We do what we can."

"What the hell does that mean!"

"It means that until we have proof of his demise, we march on." Shifting gears, "has anyone found another Link yet?"

Asuka was silent a long moment. "Not to my knowledge. If we had, you'd be the first to hear about it."

"Indeed," Prof agreed. "Has anyone made a trip to the Monument of Life? His name would be there if he was killed."

"I'll go," she offered instantly.

"That's unnecessary-"

"I'll go," Asuka said more forcefully.

Prof stared her down, not wanting to fight over this. "Fine. Make the trip. But I want a full report on your findings inside two days."

"Understood." Asuka turned to leave.

"Langley," Prof said, "let Anchor know _stage seven_ is moving forward. She'll know what I mean and forward it to the appropriate members."

"Got it, boss."

To her word, Asuka stopped off before leaving to deliver Prof's message. Anchor looked slightly shocked, but regained her friendly front before Asuka caught on. "I see. The membership will be alerted immediately."

"Hey, Anchor."

"Yes, Baron Langley?"

"What exactly is _stage seven_?"

"I cannot say," she said quickly. "If the commander hasn't told you, then I cannot either."

_A hint. One of Prof's projects. _"All right, then. I guess I'll ask Prof about it next time I'm in. See you later."

"Farewell."

_God damn it. God damn it! I knew he was fucked in the head, but I never thought it would go this far. To think... no. He'd dead too. But how?_

* * *

** Incoming Message - Langley to Prof**

_Found his name on the stone – crossed out. Time of death is 0333 on the first. Death: player-kill, Tabris._

**Message Ends**

* * *

**1_November_2024 – 03:33**

_My muscles ache. What... have to get up. Up. Up, god-damnit. All right, that's an inch. What's all the beeping?_

From down the hall, half a dozen nurses and a doctor came charging into the room to find me on my own two feet, holding myself up with a rolling cart used for IV medication.

"Where is he," I demanded of these medical personnel. "Where is Kaoru Nagisa!"


End file.
